


Stars in the Waters

by hislightherdarkness



Category: The Tribes of Palos Verdes, battlecreek
Genre: Angst, Crossover, Drug Addiction, I'll add more if I need to, M/M, Parental Abuse, Smut, Soft boys falling in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2019-10-27 05:11:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17760404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hislightherdarkness/pseuds/hislightherdarkness
Summary: This is a crossover fic inspired by two sweet soft boys that deserved better, Jim Mason and Henry Pearl. For the purpose of this story, Jim and Henry are the same age, twenty-five years old.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

It wasn’t exactly where he wanted to end up, but at least he was away from his mother. Jim had stayed long after high school with his mother, he told Medina that she needed him, Medina disagreed. Sandy Mason was nothing more than a life sucking leech, treating him more like a husband and less like a son. Jim knew deep down she was right, but his desire to keep his family happy and as close as he could left him isolated from everyone else. Jim was always a very social person, he liked having friends, he liked people, but after his OD scare he was forced to go nowhere but school and home. His life fell into a cycle of entrapment, by both his mother and pills. Only his twin had been his rock, his everlasting support, even if she couldn't help him. He never blamed her, she did the best she could, but  the will of their mom was a tough one to break. Medina was the one who pushed him to get away, the only one who saw what was really happening to him.

_Go away Jim_ , she told him, _I’ll take care of her_.

Sandy was having one of her meltdowns one night, she began to call Jim by his father’s name. She was yelling at him, calling him names and even hitting him. It wasn't the first time she had gotten physical with Jim, but Medina was never there to see them, he just preferred to keep them silent. Jim never would hit his mother, so he just took it, and he was so high off the pills he barely could register what was happening around him. Medina couldn't believe her eyes, her fury was unstoppable and she hit Sandy so hard that she fell unconscious.

_Get out Jim_ , she urged him, _I’ll be alright_.

He was numb, his body ached from the beating, his mind was everywhere that he didn't have enough sense to check if Sandy was alright, to stop Medina from packing a bag for him, telling him to not come back, no matter what Sandy said. He remembered her giving him a bunch of money, not bothering to ask her where it came from, and was brought to the car to drive away.

_Drive, Jim, drive!_

He couldn’t tell how long he drove, but he drove and drove like Medina said, stopping only to get the gas he needed. His mind was plagued with images of what had happened, trying to piece it all together, but he thought of everything that had happened within the last few years; the move to Palos Verdes, his dad's rejection of him, the Bay Boys with their drugs, the OD scare, Sandy’s rampages, the fights that turned physical. Jim stared out, watching as the sky turned dark, trying to name the consolations, anything to ease his mind. If only he could get lost in the night sky, up there everything looks so peaceful, better than down here on earth. 

The pills helped to ease the pain, made him feel as if the world was nothing but a void and he was able to escape from it all. But once he finally pulled into this small garage in whatever town, the high having now worn away, everything hit him all at once, forcing Jim to face the facts and he began to cry. He cried for all the pain his parents gave him, the isolation, the separation. He had never been away from his family for so long and it was hitting him hard that now they were miles away.

_Medina, what am I going to do?_

“Um, excuse me?” Jim jumped at the sound, looking up to see where that quiet voice with a southern brawl came from. He was surprised to see a young man about the same age as him, with big green eyes and a shy demeanor. “Are you alright?”

 Jim wanted to answer, wanted to shout, curse, but all that came out were more sobs. The door opened and the young man had carefully helped Jim out of the car, wrapping an arm around Jim’s shoulders, softly consoling him as he guided him into the garage. “It’s ok, come on.”

Walking in, Jim saw through his blurred eyes, an older black man with his hat on backwards, working on a car. He stopped once he saw what was happening. “Henry, what happened?”

“I don’t know. He needs help, though.” The man named Henry sat him down on a chair and got him some water. “Here, drink that.”

Jim did, taking in almost the whole bottle and wiped his eyes. He didn’t realize just how thirsty he was, but then again he was wearing down on his high. “Thank you. I’m sorry to be a bother.”

Henry shrugged. “It’s alright. I’m Henry by the way. Henry Pearl. And this is Arthur. He owns the garage.”

Jim smiled at the man and said, “I’m Jim Mason.”

“So, what is your story, Jim Mason?” asked Arthur, giving him a tissue.

“Um, it’s a bit complicated,” he brushed off, blowing his nose. “Where am I, anyway?”

“Battlecreek,” Henry explained. “Probably never heard of it. Most people haven’t.”

_A small town that no one heard of, a good place to hide for a bit._

“You look worn. How long have you been driving?” Arthur asked.

“All day. I am from California.”

Arthur let out a whistle. “Damn. Your car must be tired. And out of gas. Why don’t I take a look at it?” Jim thanked him as Arthur patted his shoulder and smiled.

Henry couldn’t help but to look at Jim, his skin shone from a light layer of sweat, lips drained of color and his eyes were red. From crying perhaps but the way Jim's hand shook, the displaced look he had on his face, made Henry believe there was more to his story than just leaving for bigger and better things. And behind those blue eyes, Henry saw something he was all too familiar with, a pain that no one it seemed could help. Who was Jim Mason, and what story did he carry with him? Jim’s stomach growled and Henry chuckled, going to the cabinet and pulled out a bag of chips. “Eat up. You look like you need it.”

Jim would have eaten practically anything given to him at this point, having not eaten since dinner the previous day. The feeling of his stomach at last being filled was the best thing he felt all day.

 “You got somewhere to stay?” asked Henry. Jim shook his head. He didn’t even consider what he would do once he was out and away. “Well, I got a place,” Henry said, “It’s not much, but we have a couch. It can be quite comfy.”

Jim felt embarrassed at the idea of being dependent upon the kindness of a stranger. “I don’t want to be a bother. I am already one now.”

Henry smiled. “No bother at all. Better than sleeping in your car. And it’ll give you time to figure out what you want to do.”

Jim nodded. He was so tired, what he needed now was to clear his head and figure what the next step tomorrow. As he ate, Jim couldn’t help but to wonder why they were being so nice to him, and what it was that made him be deserving of the kindness. Jim stayed until Henry’s shift was over, giving him a ride back to his house. The ride was nice compared to the escape, and Jim really got to see the town as a quiet little hamlet it was. “Battlecreek is very quiet, huh?”

“Yeah. It’s small, everyone practically knows everyone else’s business. But I guess like any small town it has its charm. Tomorrow you should check out Peaches diner. Melinda has the best pie ever.”

Jim smiled, how good it felt to speak to someone else that wasn’t his mom or his therapist or even Medina. He loved his twin, but he needed to be near people, and it was nice to hear another voice. Looking over at him, Jim took in Henry. Jim was never one to shy away from admitting anyone was good looking, and Henry certainly was. Everything about him was soft, except for the harsh redness on his neck and shoulder. He noticed the red splotch on before and he could see more on the upper chest as his sweater slid down. He wondered where those could come from, they looked like burns. They looked like they hurt. How long has he had them, what tragedy gave him those awful reminders?

He pulled in front of the house that Henry pointed to. Before getting out of the car, Henry warned, “Uh, listen, I live with my mom, she can be a bit…unusual. Just so you know.”

Jim nodded, “Yeah, unusual moms are pretty much my forte.”

_That's the understatement of the century._

He was grateful Henry didn’t question on that any further and quietly led him into the house. Henry looked in first and give a sigh of relief, the house was empty. Beckoning Jim in, Henry brought him into the living room, setting up a pillow and blanket. “Here ya go. Sorry it’s not much, but it’s the most I can do. And at least here you won't get a sore back like you'd get in the back of your car.”

“Really, I am grateful for any help. Thank you.”

Henry smiled. “The bathroom is down the hall to the right. And I’ll see you in the morning.”

After bidding him goodnight, Jim took his shoes off, placed both them and his bag by the end of the couch and curled right up, falling fast asleep.

_Sleep Jim, sleep. Let everything go, nothing all but a bad dream. Right?_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Henry sat on the porch, listening to the nighttime noises. Normally he would be in his room, reading or painting until he was tired, but he decided to wait for Tallulah to get home. Tallulah, his mother. He wasn’t quite sure when he started calling her that, but that was the only name he ever knew her as, never momma. With so many people that came to the house that addressed her as Ms. Pearl, she would correct them and say, “Call me Tallulah, sweet thing.” As much as Henry wished to call her mom, he wished even more that he had a reason to call her as such. It didn’t feel like she was his mom, just some smothering caretaker who rambled on about dreams and fortunes. Suffice to say that Henry’s childhood wasn’t the most conventional one and it certainly wasn’t the best.

A car pulls up to the house and Henry sighs. Of course she would. All his life, Henry saw men that he had never seen before coming home with Tallulah, some of whom he grew to know only because they mocked him, even at times openly in front of her but she never seemed to notice.

Tallulah steps out of the car, completely drunk and she is leaning over through the window. “Thanks for the ride sugar.”

“That’s nice, but I can think of a better way to thank me.” Said the driver’s voice.

Henry gently gripped Tallulah’s arms and said, “She needs to sleep. Goodnight.”

“Henry!” She wraps her arms around his neck, nuzzling into his chest. “I missed you baby. Miss your momma?”

“You gotta be quiet, people are sleeping.”

She giggles, staying quiet for Henry. As they step into the house, Henry did all he could to sneak her past Jim, shooting a glance at the living room. Jim was out and didn’t seem to hear other one of them. As he tucked Tallulah in her bed, she continued to giggle and coo. “My brilliant baby, my sweetie. Tell me you love me.”

“You know I do,” he answers, giving a half smile. He didn’t quite know what to say to her, he wanted to love her but she made loving difficult sometimes.

Her hand grips his arm and she sweetly hisses, “Say it.”

“Goodnight, Tallulah.” Slipping out of her grip, he leaves her room, leaving her asleep. Henry went back and checked on Jim. He was so handsome, perfect, normal. He wondered where he came from, why he was running. What troubles could someone whose life seemed to be filled with nothing but happiness could have? Henry looked at his own arms, fingers brushing along the burns. What a cruel joke it was on him, to be surrounded by warmth and light and to never be a part of it. He felt guilty for being envious of Jim, for he would never have to know about hiding, about not having the freedom to do as you wished. With that, Henry slipped into his own bed and went to sleep.

A dreamless sleep plagued Jim, leaving him in the ease of nothingness. When Jim woke the next day, he felt a hand running through his hair. “Hey, wake up. Wake up hon.”

With his eyes still heavy with sleep, he looked up and saw a blonde haired woman looking down at him. He practically jumped. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

“That’s alright. So tell me. Who are you and what brought you to my couch?” Her voice had the same southern brawl as Henry, and though it sounded sweet, he could see a sharpness in her eyes.

“I’m sorry. Henry said I could sleep here. I’ll go.” He sat up, but was stopped by the woman, who rested her hand on his arm and sat beside him.

“Oh, don’t go. If Henry said you could sleep here, that’s alright. What’s your name?”

“Jim Mason.”

“Jim Mason. What a nice name, an honest name. I’m Henry’s mother, but please call me Tallulah, sweet thing.” Jim smiled, but he had to admit to feeling a bit odd. It wasn’t just that he was caught sleeping on the couch by a stranger but that said stranger seemed to be flirting with him. “You are a very handsome young man. Got a girlfriend, sweetie?” she asked while her fingers brushed against his forearm. Yep, most certainly flirting.

“Uh no.” Jim carefully brought his arm in, wrapping them around himself.

“Now that is a shame. I bet you could make any girl happy.”

“Tallulah.” Henry had appeared in the door way. “He had a rough night. Let him be.”

“I’m just asking questions, getting acquainted with our guest, nothing more. Now, how about some breakfast. What would you like?”

“We can take care of ourselves,” Henry interjected softly. He stepped in and offered to show Jim where the kitchen was. Jim followed, smiling politely at Tallulah. Once alone in the kitchen, Henry softly said, “I am sorry about Tallulah. She um, she can be a bit much.”

Jim just shrugged it off. “It’s alright. I’m sure she meant well.” Henry gave him a look that made Jim think otherwise. It was late in the morning when he woke up, so it felt strange for Jim to eat cereal while Henry sat and watched, or rather sketched. Peaking at the paper, he watched as Henry shaded and drew curves on the pad. “You draw?”

“Yeah. Been doing it since I was young. Not too bad, huh?” He showed him a sketch of a dog running along the fence. “That’s Benny. We’re good friends. I’ll have to introduce you to him later.”

After he ate, Jim had asked Henry if it was possible to take a shower. “Sure, right down the hall. And there’s a lock on the door, so you’ll have some privacy.” Taking his bag with him, Jim hopped in the shower. It felt great, cleaning away the stress and the worries. He noticed that bruises started to form on his arms and chest. He couldn’t help but to wonder what his mom was doing now, hoping she was alright. He had to call Medina, call to see what happened after, to let her know he was alright.

Stepping out of the shower, Jim changed, grateful to be in clean clothes. Tallulah was right outside the door when he finished. “Here, let ole’ Tallulah clean those for you.”

“Uh, thanks,” Jim muttered as Tallulah had already taken his clothes and walked away. Finding Henry in the living room, he asked, “Hey, is there a phone I can use? I should really call my sister.”

Henry nearly said yes, but he could see Tallulah poking her head in wanting to hear everything. “Well, you might want to go into town and use a phone booth there. Our phone is acting up.” He guided Jim to the door, not letting Tallulah a chance to jump in. “There’s one by that restaurant I told you, Peaches. When you get a chance, go and have lunch there. Tell Melinda I sent you and she’ll take good care of you.”

“Thanks. I don’t know how to pay you back.”

“It’s alright.”

Grateful for the kindness, Jim got into the car and drove off. Battlecreek was small, it looked like one of those towns you see in movies and it was easy to find the restaurant Henry mentioned, as well as the phone booth. Dialing the number of Medina’s apartment, he felt his anxiety grow with each ring. Thankfully she answered.

“Hello?”

“Medina! It’s Jim!”

“Jim!” she sighed, grateful to hear from him. “Where are you, are you ok?”

“Yeah, I am in some town called Battlecreek. Its south somewhere, Mississippi. It’s nice here, nice and quiet. How’s mom?”

“She’ll live. She doesn’t even remember it was me that hit her.”

“Has she been asking for me?”

There was silence before Medina answered gently but sternly, “Jim, please let her go. Just for a while. It’s not healthy and you need some time away from here. Try and put her out of your mind.”

He sighed. He couldn’t in good conscious do that, she was his mother after all. But Medina was right, this was something he learned after his OD scare, Medina would always be right. “Ok. But listen, you’ll tell me if anything serious happens, alright?”

“Yes, I promise. What are you going to do now?”

Jim looked around and he thought of Henry. “I think I’ll stay here for a bit. Not sure how long, but I like it here.”

“Good, listen, take care ok? And promise that you won’t-”

“I know,” Jim interrupted quietly as a couple walked by. “I mean, I can’t say that I don’t want to, but I think here, I’ll be ok. I think here, I could actually try.”

Medina sighed over the phone. “Call me in a few days ok?”

“Will do.”

“You’re my tribe, Jim.”

Jim smiled. “Always.”

After hanging up, Jim found that there were some guys by his car and he hurried over. “Uh, hey there.”

“Hey. This yours?” The one guy with a beard asked, pointing to the surfboard on top.

“Yeah. Yep, that’s mine.”

“So,” the shorter man with a hat on smirked, then proceeded to speak to him in an awful surfer voice. “You’re like, totally a surfer dude, right?”

“Um, no.” Jim laughed, “Just a regular guy.”

The bearded man stepped up and said, “Well, Regular Guy, we don’t take kindly to strangers in our town, or anyone that don’t fit in. So you best be on your way.”

The smaller guy laughed as they bumped into him laughing. Jim felt his heart beating furiously, he suddenly remembered those guys he used to hang out with, the ones he desperately wanted to be friends with. The ones who got him started on the drugs. He felt a surge of panic and fear of himself slipping back into that dark hole he barely crawled out of. Pulling out the cigarettes from his bag, he walked away in a hurry, walking will help him calm down. Puffing the cigarette and walking, he tried to make himself blend in with the other people, the none complicated people whose lives were filled with nothing but ease. He soon found himself in front of a grocery store with its bulletin board of flyers and ads. He hoped to find somewhere mention of a room open, but no such luck. There was nothing said about any job openings either. _Shit, now what am I going to do?_ Looking in his bag, he counted what little money he had, which only amounted to twenty bucks and change. 

His stomach growled in hunger and he remembered that diner Henry mentioned. Well, might as well get one last decent meal before being broke. Returning back to the phone booth and putting out his cigarette, he entered the Peaches diner and was greeted by a warm voice. “Well hello there. Haven't seen you here before.”

Sitting at the counter, he smiled at the nice red haired lady, whose name tag read ‘Melinda’. “Uh, Henry Pearl told me to let you know he sent me. Said you could take care of me.”

Her smile grew and she patted his hand. “Sure thing, sweetheart. What can I get you?” After ordering some burger and fries, Melinda came back, filling up the sugar. “How did you happen to meet Henry?”

“I was in a rut and he offered to help.”

She nodded her head. “That’s Henry for you. Always helping others. He’s a sweetheart. Comes in here every night for something to eat before going to work. Always the nicest.”

The cook called for Melinda to which she gave Jim a funny look before giggling and leaving him alone. It really was so much nicer than being in Palos Verdes, Jim decided. Everything here is so peaceful, possibly it was mainly because he was away from his parents. Jim thought of his dad; he hadn’t seen him in so long, the last time was his high school graduation where he had managed to finish on time. Jim felt certain that Phil didn’t even want to come, but did only for Medina, who he was chatting it up with for most of the time. He wanted to go with his dad on a work trip, like he did for Paris. But he told him that it wouldn’t work, perhaps next time. After that, Phil only called the house, never speaking to Jim. Medina was the in between for the two of them. He wondered if his dad stopped loving him, if he really hated Jim so much that he wouldn’t even speak to his own son.

His thoughts were interrupted by Melinda who gracefully placed the plate before him. “There you go hon. And you’re lucky today, Jack actually got an order right.”

“I heard that!” called a voice from the kitchen. Melinda only giggled.

“Um, Melinda. This might be a stretch, and yo don't even know me, but is there any openings here that I can do? I am not sure just how long I’ll be here but I’ll be needing money. Anything you want me to do, I can do it.”

She smiled, “We certainly do. We lost a waitress, came in late too many times. It’ll be at night.”

Feeling hopeful and excited about his luck turning around, he assured her, “That’s alright. I would really appreciate it.”

Melinda patted his hand, “You can consider yourself hired. We usually have uniforms for the waitresses but I don’t think any of our dresses are your size.” Melinda teased, making Jim smile. “Just wear a plain white shirt and jeans. Welcome aboard.”

Jim ate his lunch with vigor, grateful he was staring to find his own place here. Perhaps he could actually start over here, be the person he wanted to be.

 

Janice, a woman Tallulah knows from the grocery store,  came over, wanting her fortune read again. Tallulah thinks this time she is ready, but Henry wasn't sure. He wasn't even sure if he could believe in all those dreams she says she has, the tarot cards and the palm readings. Sometimes he thinks Tallulah is just fishing. 

Seeing Janice makes him think; Ms. Nelson had a room, Jim could use it. As far as she knew it was still available. Perfect.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

Jim returned back to the house, a little cautious of Tallulah, but she was thankfully busy with some lady. It looked and sounded like she was reading her fortune. Jim looked around the house to find Henry, looking into a bedroom and was amazed by the sight. The walls were painted with beautiful scenery, it almost looked like you were there. Sunlight cobble streets with flowers everywhere. Henry was sitting on his bed, sketching away. Henry looked up and smiled at him. “Hey, reached your sister alright?”

“Yeah. Did you do this?” Henry blushed and nodded. “This is beautiful. Where is this at?”

Henry shrugged. “Somewhere out in the world I suppose.” Henry got off the bed and went over to his bag, pulling out a paper. “Did you find anywhere to stay?”

Jim shook his head. “No luck. I don’t even know how long I’ll stay.”

“Well, the couch is comfy enough, but I am sure a bed will be better.” Handing him the paper, he explained, “Ms. Nelson is a lady down the street, she has a room for rent. At least there you’ll have a bit more privacy.” He turned to go back on the bed when he remembered, “Ms. Nelson doesn’t hear that well, so you’ll want to speak a bit loudly.”

Jim smiled. “Thanks. Melinda was right.”

Henry smirked. “She’s something, isn’t she?”

“She let me have a job at the diner. Working the night shift.”

Henry smiled. “We’ll be seeing each other a lot then. I go there before work.”

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation and Tallulah stood in the doorway. “Hi there. Your clothes are all set, sweet thing.”

Jim stood, thanking her. Taking the clothes from her, he felt her hands brush along his. “You know, I happen to be very good at reading people and their fortunes. Let me read yours hon, I bet we can find something worthwhile for you.”

Jim could hear Henry sigh behind him. “Uh, maybe some other time. Thank you though.”

“Sure thing.” She left, smiling at Jim.

Once alone again, Henry looked at Jim with apologetic eyes. “I am sorry about her. She’s just…well, I could never figure Tallulah out. Bet your mom never flirts with every man she sees.”

Jim shook his head. “No, she barely leaves the house. Always wears her pink bathrobe.”

Henry looked at him, as if trying to read him. “Was she the reason you left? You said you were calling your sister, but not your mom.”

Sitting back on the bed, Jim sighed. “It’s a lot of things that just build up to my leaving. My mom needs help and I thought I was helping. It took my sister to make me see that I wasn’t, that she needs more than what I could give her.”

Inching closer, Henry offered a reassuring squeeze on Jim’s arm. “I am sure you did all that you could.”

Jim smiled sadly and shook his head. “Medina says our parents were always a lost cause, always thinking about themselves. It’s our time to think about us, she would tell me. Finally time I did.”

Henry took his hand back, fiddling with the pages. “Yeah. Sounds great.” Jim looked at Henry, he could tell something was holding him back. Before he could ask, Henry said, “You better get on over to Ms. Nelson. I’ll see you tonight.”

Jim nodded. “Thank you again. You’ve been a lifesaver for me.”

Stuffing his clothes into his bag, he headed out towards the address. At the door, a woman in her 60s wearing a cotton dress appeared at the door. “Hello ma’am.” She looked at him funny and he realized he wasn’t loud enough. “I am here for the room.”

She gave him a small smile and nodded. “Ah yes. Come on in.” Following behind her, he listened to her talk. “So you’re a friend of Henry’s.”

“Sort of, ma’am.”

“That’s nice. It’s just up these stairs. There’s no smoking in the house and I don’t want any loud commotions. I go to bed early and up with the sun. No girls! I don’t want any funny business, I run a clean house.”

“That won’t be a problem.” Jim assured her.

Reaching the top of the stairs, she looked back at him and patted his cheek. “You’re a handsome young fella. You have the eyes of Paul Newman and the charm of James Dean. Probably don’t know who they are.” Jim was ready to disagree but she turned and walked away. “Now, your room is here,” she continued, leading the way.

It was a nice room with lots of windows, pale yellow wall paper. A closet, dresser and TV. A small bathroom hid in the corner, a desk with a mirror sat across the bed. He was also grateful to have a balcony where he could sit outside and get a nice view of the sky.

“It’s perfect ma’am. I really appreciate this.”

“You may come and go as you please, just be quiet as you do.” Patting his arm, she said, “I’ll leave you to settle in.”

Now alone, he sighed, feeling relief. Jim had no problem with any of her rules, he welcomed the quiet, the time to himself. Perhaps he could be strong enough to go cold turkey. Unpacking his clothes into the dresser, he laid back on the bed and let out a deep sigh.

Jim arrived early, wanting to make sure he didn’t make a bad impression. “Look at you,” Melinda teased, “Jumpier than a jack rabbit in spring! Don’t worry, as long as you arrive on time and not drop a plate, Jack’ll love ya!”

If Melinda was my mom, Jim thought, but then suddenly felt guilty and stopped what he was thinking. He knew his mom had her own problems, but that didn’t mean he should wish he had another mom. Setting her aside, he took a deep breath, uncertain if the nerves came from the job or the lack of drugs, but he pushed on. His hands did shake a little when he held the pad, but no one noticed or they simply took it as first day jitters.

Henry came in not too long after, bag slung around his body and book in hand. His smile made Jim feel less nervous, a friendly face among a sea of strangers. Setting his bag beside him on the stool next to him, his book set beside the coffee mug, Henry sat at the counter. Melinda was pouring the coffee for him as Jim was busy taking orders.

Watching Jim move with perfect ease made Henry feel glad at his settling in. Wherever he came from, whatever he was escaping from, Henry was grateful that his car led him here.

“Jim’s doing wonderfully,” Melinda praised, “How lucky it was you found him, he’s just what the doctor ordered.” She giggled, “Certainly doesn’t hurt to have a young man around here. Gives something for the girls to look at.”

“How ‘bout you stop fawning and get back to work?” Jack pipped up.

Rolling her eyes, “Hard to believe that fossil used to be a young man once. Food’ll be here shortly.”

As Melinda left, Jim came up to set back the coffee pot. “Hey.”

“Hi there.” Fiddling with his fingers, Henry asked, “How do you like your job?”

Jim shrugged. “So far so good. Been getting quite a few tips. What are you reading?”

Henry’s hand went to the book, pulling it in front of him. “ _The Complete Works of Robert Frost_. He’s my favorite. He says you need to take life by the throat, make it your own, you know?”

Jim smiled, he liked that. Taking life by the throat. “I’ll remember that.” Looking over, Melinda was coming towards them with his plate.

“Here we are, pancakes and eggs, sunny side. And would you look at that, Jack managed to not screw it up.” Henry let out a quiet laugh, while Jim snorted, hiding his laugh. “We’ll let you eat in peace. Come on Jim, help me out with these ketchups.”

Moving to the empty counter, Jim helped Melinda fill the bottles. Jim looked as Henry ate and read quietly, his eyes wondering back to the scars. Henry never mentioned them and Jim caught moments where Henry tried to cover himself more than usual. It was difficult to not notice them, but Jim couldn’t just ask Henry, he felt that was territory Henry wasn’t quite ready to get into yet.

“Melinda, I hate to pry, but what happened to Henry? Those scars seem so, misplaced.”

She paused, her voice lowered. “Henry has some kind of skin disease, where he can’t go out in the sun. When he was younger, he got terribly burned. What an awful way to find out. Poor thing,” she shook her head mournfully, “Hasn’t been out in the sun since he was a kid.”

_Oh._

Henry helped Arthur cleaned his tools, it was hardly busy at the station, but it was nice to be here with Arthur. Even when he was young, Henry visited Arthur at the garage once the sun had set, so much that Arthur decided to have Henry work with him. It felt wrong to take money from Arthur, especially since it was usually quiet, but it was better being here than at home. Henry had no memory of his father, so Arthur was the closest thing he had. They talked about jazz, poems, life. Arthur was the only one that had actively tried to get Henry to branch out and do more with his life. As much as Henry didn’t think he had a lot going for him, he appreciated the sentiment all the same.

“You know, Henry,” Arthur said as he handed him the wrench, “That boy, Jim, he reminds me a lot of you. Quiet, trapped. Looks like he got fed up and decided to fly away.”

“Well, he can do that, I can’t.”

“Who says?” Henry stopped, looking at his mentor. “Nobody’s holdin’ you back. Nobody but you. Whatever it is that you want, you have to go up and take it. You want the truth, boy you got to seek the truth. Remember that.”

After the garage, he often went to his private place, the lake in the woods. No one ever came here at night, making it a perfect hideaway for him, free from the stares, free from the problems. As he floated, enjoying the cool water against his skin, his mind went to Jim. He thought about Jim a lot lately; thinking about his blue eyes, his warm smile, his soft chocolate colored hair. Henry didn’t really have friends, only Arthur and Melinda, but they were more of the wise uncle and the fun aunt. He never got close to anyone his own age, not after his accident which made Tallulah home school him, alienating him from the other kids. It would be nice to have a friend, but why did he think of Jim more than what a friend ought to?

Afterwards, he dressed and started to head for home. Curious, he continued down the block, right to Ms. Nelson’s house. He stopped by the tree as he looked up at Jim, sitting out on the balcony, smoking. He was staring out at the stars, a smile on his lips. He looked so happy to see the stars. A smile crept on Henry’s face, staring at him with awe. He could have stared at him all night, wishing he was up there with him. It seemed silly, really, to like someone he hardly knew, all because he was nice to him. But it was more than that, it felt like they were able to understand each other in a way that no one else could. Maybe Arthur was right, and maybe, just maybe, Jim could help teach him how to fly as well.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

It wasn’t so bad, the night shift. Nights are the worst times for Jim, at least at the diner he is kept busy, his mind focusing on doing a good job. He is amused by the fact he is the only male waiter there, a fact that made some of the customers feel a bit giddy. It felt like the old days when he would pass a group of girls and hear their charmed giggles, the good old days where everything was less complicated, where all he had to worry about was just being a teenager.

Melinda and Jack were great bosses to have, especially when he could witness the friendly banter back and forth. Melinda loved to talk and talk, telling him about her husband Arnie, how despite some of the annoying things he did, she loved him dearly. And then there was Henry. As Melinda said, he could set a watch to Henry Pearl. Always the same time, always the same order. As he filled the sugar jars, Jim looked at Henry, rather stared. His eyes followed the soft angles of his face, the sweet nose and those full lips. He was beautiful, like some kind of silent film star, his eyes telling you everything without a word.

Jim knew he was bisexual, he knew since he was in 8th grade. It was just a dare, five bucks for him and another friend to kiss. While it was laughed off as some sort of wild and crazy thing by the other boys, Jim couldn’t help but to think about that friend for a while after. Slowly, the pieces came together for him, his attention to both girls and boys, the fascination he had and the awkwardness he suffered when he liked either one. Medina is the only one who knows, the only one who never judged him. Sandy was too far off in her own world to ever notice things like that, as well as her desperate need to keep her son all to herself. Phil couldn’t wrap his head around it. Jim tried to tell him, many times, but lost all courage, and it didn’t help at all that his dad was, shall we say, none too thrilled about the idea of having a child that was not straight.

I have nothing against gay people, he proclaimed once, but it’s just not something I could stand having in my house. Phil was too preoccupied with having the picture perfect family, including his children having picture perfect families, nothing for anyone to look down on or question. That was mostly why he dated that girl-Heather was it?-just to make his dad proud. Heather wasn’t a bad girl, she was nice, but just not what he was interested in. He was more interested in the boy who sat behind Heather, but unfortunately he couldn’t pursue anything with him. Luckily for him, after the OD scare, it was easy to break it off with the girl and just let him be. Better to be alone rather than with someone you can’t love. A lesson taught to him by his parents.

The days were a bit more difficult; since it was a small town, there wasn’t too much to do, or at least, not stuff that would keep him away from danger.  Jim found himself either walking around, getting lost in the woods, just him and nature. Those tough days he’d go there, just let himself be far away from temptation, let the noise of nature seep into his brain and think of better things. Medina, stars, surfing. On a good day, he decided to venture over to Henry’s.

Henry was surprised to see Jim, but grateful for it. It could be tough spending all day with Tallulah, which is why he often spent his days in his room. Opening the door asked, “What’s going on?”

“I just wanted to see if you’d like to hang out. Or if not, I can leave.”

“Oh, no,” Henry quickly said, “I am grateful for company. It’s just Tallulah and I all day. It can be a bit, well,” _Lonely_. “Trying.”

Jim smiled, coming in. “Thanks. I mean, for letting me be here. Where is Tallulah?”

“She’s over at the hairdressers. No doubt giving everyone there a reading, so she’ll be gone for a long while.”

“So, what do you do all day?”

Henry shrugged. “Paint, read. Sometimes I watch TV, but Tallulah usually has someone over, it’s just easier to hide away.”

“Well, got some cards. Wanna play something?”

Going into Henry’s room, they sat across from each on the bed as they played a game of Go Fish! A little while into the game, Jim softly asked, gesturing to the burns, “How did that happen?”

Henry was quiet for a moment and said, “I can’t go out in the sun, my skin is kind of sensitive to it. Can’t remember much, pretty young when it happened. But I can remember the burning, the heat melting my skin, and the smell. Well, it’s not a smell you’ll likely forget.”

“Where was Tallulah?”

Henry sighed, “She left me with my dad, who was drunk most of the time. Guess he didn’t hear me before it was too late. Left us not too long after. The strangest thing is, I liked how it felt, for a few moments. That warmth that reaches you and warms you inside out. Felt good, like I was alive.”

Jim was sad to think Henry could never go out during the day, could never feel the warmth of the sun on his face and hands. Jim loved the sun, he couldn’t imagine being without it. “That had to be tough, for a kid to not go out and play. Do you ever miss it?”

Henry set a pair down and shrugged. “I guess. I did sit out, hidden under a tree or something, but it didn’t quite feel the same. Always felt like hiding.”

Picking up a card, Jim remarked, “I like the night better, everything is so much calmer at night. It’s safer. No glaring sun to shine down on your faults, just the stars and the endless sky.”

“’Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven, blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.’ Henry Longfellow.” Henry quoted, a small blush painting his cheeks.

Jim smiled, setting the last of his cards down, winning the game. “You read a lot, don’t you?”

“Nothing else really to do. Over there,” he explained, pointing to a small pile in the corner, “I’ve read every one of those I can’t tell you how many times. Wish I could get more books. There is this one book store that I pass every night. I want to go in, but it’s closed every time I get there.”

With an idea forming, he asked “Hey, do you have an umbrella?”

“Uh, yeah, by the coat hanger.”

Jim hopped off the bed and not a moment later returned with the umbrella. “Let’s go.”

Henry looked at him shocked. “What? I can’t.”

“Yes you can. I’ll be with you, we have a trusty umbrella and the store is open. Not to sound too much like Tallulah, but I think these are all signs.” Henry smiled but still showed hesitation in his eyes. Jim moved closer and offered his hand, “Come on. Trust me.”

Henry hadn’t attempted to go outside during the daytime in years, not after Tallulah’s big stink the last time. He wasn’t up to make Tallulah mad, but he was also tired of being coped up in this house. Arthur’s voice rang in his head, _Nobody’s holdin’ you back. Nobody but you._ Nodding, he took Jim’s hand, who helped him up from the bed and went to grab his bag from the corner. Following Jim out the door, who had the umbrella open and ready, he carefully walked out and followed Jim to his car. The feeling was exhilarating and incredible. Turning the blinders towards the windows, they drove away.

Henry looked out the window and saw the town in its sunny glory. It was nice, homey even. As they parked in front of the store, Jim hopped out and had the umbrella ready for him, bringing him to the store. It was not very big, but there were so many books that Henry could have gotten lost in here.

Jim usually was a sure person, always ready to dive right into something, but he did have some doubts, especially with the concern of Henry’s well-being. But look on Henry’s face was worth it. There was a warming feeling inside, made he feel incredibly happy, happier than he had in the longest time. Henry looked at him with anticipation, to which Jim replied, “Go on, go nuts!”

Henry laughed, looking through the sections, Biographies, Sci-Fi, Mystery, Best Sellers, they all made Henry’s mind swirl and his smile grow wider. Watching Henry explore the shelves was like watching an animal return to its natural habitat. Henry perused the poems section, finding poets like E.E. Cummings and William Blake who reminded him a lot of Frost. He looked to Jim, who was looking at a constellation book, his eyes glued to the page in wonder. His eyes stayed on Jim a bit longer than he should have, making Jim look up and smile at him. Henry smiled back, his heart beating loudly he was afraid Jim could hear it too.

For the next half hour, the two young men explored the quiet store, run by an older gentleman who worked on a crossword puzzle. Reaching the counter to pay, Jim had under his arm three books, while Henry had a piles worth, maybe eleven or twelve, Henry forgot. Jim bought his books first, making Henry reconsider his choices. Henry hardly ever spent his earnings on anything except for the diner, but seeing all of those books, he began to question his choice. “Do you think Tallulah would be upset if I got so many books?”

“It’s not her money,” Jim said looking at Henry, “You are free to do with it however you wish. And besides, these are a lot cheaper than most books at any book store. I’d say you were being reasonable with your money.”

It was strange to Henry, to have this feeling of control, even if it was something as small as getting books. It still was something Henry never did for himself. They went back to the car with their treasures and returned to Henry’s house. Tallulah hadn’t returned, making Henry sigh with relief. Going right back to his room, Jim and Henry shared what they had bought.

“Monet, Rembrandt and Kahlo. Some interesting choices there,” Jim flipped through each book carefully.

“Well, they all have such different styles. It says a lot about a person the way they make art.” Leaning forward, he pulled out of Jim’s bag the first book and smiled. “Photography.”

Jim nodded. “Yeah, thought it looked cool. Can’t wait to get my hands on this.” Taking out the book on constellations, he flipped through it mindlessly. “There may be a lot I still don’t know,” he smirked, “But I doubt it.”

The sound of a door closing made Henry jump and he slipped his bag on the other side of the bed where Tallulah couldn’t see. Just in the nick of time as Tallulah opened the door. “Hen-oh hello there.” She smiled at the two young men sitting on the bed. “How are you doing, sweet thing?”

Jim shifted uncomfortably under Tallulah’s gaze. “Uh fine.”

“What do you have there?”

“Books. We went-”

“We went through Jim’s books,” Henry jumped in. “He got them earlier today and he just wanted to show me.”

Tallulah smiled. “That’s nice. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything.” She gave Jim a wink before closing the door.

Jim looked at Henry, surprise and confusion painted his face. “Why did you lie?”

Henry sighed, “If she found out I went out during the day she would have a fit. And when she gets mad, well as Shakespeare said ‘Though she may be little, she is fierce’.”

Jim looked at Henry and saw in him what must have been how he was. A son too afraid to take a chance, unwilling to do something for himself only to placate his mother. Placing a hand on Henry’s cheek, Jim looked him in the eyes and said, “You are allowed to do things without anyone stopping you. You are allowed to do whatever makes you happy, no one else. Trust me, that’s something I had to learn the hard way.”

Henry stared at Jim, taking in the words, but focusing more on the touch of his hand on his face. He didn’t know much but he knew that he missed and longed for the touch of others. People didn’t want to touch him much, thinking he was infected or sick, looking at him as if he were some sort of oddity to keep away from. So to say that he wasn’t utterly reeling in the moment would not only be a lie, but a travesty.

Jim’s eyes went from Henry to the watch on his wrist and taking his hand away, explained, “I gotta go. I need to shower and eat before work. See you later?”

Henry nodded, watching as Jim walked out. Once alone, Henry’s hand went to his cheek, closing his eyes and remembering how nice it felt.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

It was late, Jim couldn’t sleep. He felt hot, his sheets being drenched by sweat. His heart was racing and he was suddenly feeling anxious, though he couldn’t explain why. He sat up, pacing around the room. His mind raced with the anxiety of being away from home, of what his mom would say, would she try and find him and drag him back to that life? The darker part of his mind said take the pills, Ms. Nelson has to have some sort of pills.

“No, no, no.” Jim harshly whispered to himself. He wasn’t going to do that again. He needed to stop himself. The heat didn’t help him at all with beating this sickness, fighting against his demons. He has to stop this, he can’t go through the OD’S, the crash and the feeling of being trapped again. But how the hell would he get the strength to do it, especially since his sister wasn’t near him. She was always his rock, even when he slipped away further and further away from her. She never gave up on him, never stopped loving him. How could he ever think to repay her?

Feeling closed in and lonely, he dressed, slipping his jacket on and quietly slipped out the door. He walked the quiet street, catching the occasional breeze. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he just had to get out. He made his way to some woods, somewhere that no one seemed to be in. He sat down by a tree, sighing. He felt relieved that he was out in the fresh air, even if it was hot. Soon, he heard the sound of soft splashing. Water? Following the sound, he found a lake and someone swimming in it. By a rock, there were a sweater, jeans, shoes and a familiar satchel bag.

When the person appeared, his guess was correct, it was Henry. “Hey!”

Henry turned and sighed. “Hey there! What are you doing here?”

“It’s too hot to sleep,” Jim explain, skipping out the part of him needing pills. “Ms. Nelson doesn’t like fans, too noisy, says the woman who can’t hear well.”

“You can come in. Water’s nice and cool.”

Thinking of nothing better, Jim began to strip down to his boxers and went right in, splashing Henry as he dove. Coming back up, Jim sighed. “This feels so good.” Shaking his head, the water splashed right at Henry, making him shield himself and laughing.

“Hey, watch where you’re spraying!”

A wide grin formed on Jim’s face. “Oh, you think that’s bad, how about this?” He splashed at Henry, leading them into a small water fight. This felt so normal to Henry, to have Jim spend time with him, to actually be with someone that liked having him around. They just eased into this friendship, this bond and it made Henry feel the happiest than he ever had.

After swimming and as they dressed themselves, Jim looked up at the stars. “It’s beautiful here. All the stars that you can see.”

“You like space?”

“Love it. I love the night, the stars and constellations. Everyone of them different, filled with meaning.” Pointing, Jim said, “that’s Aquarius the Water Bearer. It’s the 10th largest constellation in the sky; it is spread out over 980 square degrees. It doesn’t have the brightest stars so it can be hard to see with the naked eye. It came from the Greek myth of the cup bearer for the gods. Apparently, he was this beautiful mortal that Zeus loved and because of that, he was granted eternal life, among the gods and the stars.”

Henry stared at the stars, listening to Jim with fascination. He never really looked at the stars before, never really believed that they had a reason or a history. “Knowing that,” Henry said, his eyes still on the stars, “helps to make me feel less alone.”

Jim looked over at him and carefully, his hand slid over to Henry’s, fingers gazing as he replied, “That’s why I always look at the stars. Nice to have someone to look at them, though.”

Henry turned to Jim, his cheeks getting warm at Jim’s stare. Behind those cool blue eyes, there was a warmth and something else that Henry couldn’t quite figure but liked all the same. Sitting forward, taking his hands into his lap. “We, uh, we should get back.” Standing, he slipped his bag over his shoulder and said, “Come on, I’ll walk you back.”

Jim nodded, feeling unsure of what he felt and how to react to Henry’s reaction. Shaking his head, he picked up his jacket and followed Henry.

As they walked back, Henry pointed towards a man sitting in a rocking chair. “That’s Mr. Hayward. Lost his wife eight years ago. Now he just sits on that porch ‘til he falls asleep. Like he’s waiting for something.”

Henry went off the road and towards a white picket fence, whistling. Confused, Jim followed, pleasantly surprised by a furry face, smiling at them. “Hi! Hi there!” Henry cooed, petting the golden retriever’s head as the animal stood up, his eyes closed. “This is Benny.”

Jim eagerly petted the dog, giving him a good rub behind the ears. “What a beautiful dog!”

“Want a treat?” Henry pulled out a biscuit, feeding the gentle dog. “I always bring him treats. He knows all the town’s secrets.” Pressing a kiss to his head, Henry waved Benny good bye as he and Jim continued on.

They walked down the streets in peaceful silence until they reached Henry’s home. “I guess it’s me. It was fun, you should come to the lake more often.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Jim turned to leave, but Henry, feeling bold, spoke up. “Hey, Jim. Every year the town puts on this fair by the old cider mill. Not much, but Melinda will be there to protect her apple bobbing title.”

“You go?”

Henry shrugged. “Never seemed to have anyone to go with. Stuff like that, it’s better with someone than alone.”

Nodding, Jim agreed. “Why not? I’m sure it’ll be great.” Jim walked down the road, waving back to Henry.

Tallulah watched Henry and Jim talk. Jim was a fine young man, Tallulah would have loved to sink her teeth into him. But there was something unusual about him. And the way he spent his time with Henry. Now, Tallulah doesn’t mind that Henry has friends, but there was something about this friend that seemed dangerous to her. A small spark of jealously grew within her, why was this young man so keenly interested in her son but not her? Tallulah could a vain and envious person, though you could never tell her that. How can she be anything less than good when she does so much for this town, when she carried all their worries on her shoulders and did all she could to help them? No, it couldn’t be jealousy that clouded her judgement, it was just something about Jim, something dark about that boy.

Where did he come from? Why is he here? What does he want with her Henry?

Sitting on the couch, she smoked, waiting for Henry to come in. “Have a nice night?”

“It’s fine.” Henry was about to retreat into his room, but Tallulah stopped him.

“Come sit by your momma.”

Henry bit his lip, this couldn’t be good. He carefully went over to the couch, setting the bag down and sat beside her. He waited, what was wrong now?

“You know Henry,” she began blowing out smoke, “You are the sweetest boy. Always wanting to help others, but some people are not as nice as you’d like them to be. Sometimes, a good face hides a dark past. People just have a darkness inside them, some it radiates so strongly, others it takes a while for the darkness to show itself. But darkness is darkness, and no good can come from a man like that.”

Henry sighed, he knew what she was getting at. “Jim is nice, so wherever you are getting your ideas from, drop it.”

“I’m just trying to be helpful. Did he tell you yet why he is here? No one comes here unless it’s to run away.”

“So what?” He asked, tired. “Jim hasn’t done anything bad, and if he came here to run away, let him. Not everyone has a happy home life.”

Tallulah put out her cigarette, taking Henry’s hand. “I love you, my baby boy. I just don’t want anyone to hurt you. To take you away from me.”

Henry wasn’t sure what to say to that. I want to be taken away? I was never yours to be stolen? Any one of those would have only led into a fight. “Goodnight Tallulah.”

Grabbing his bag, he all but ran to his room, setting the bag down and plopped on his bed. Why couldn’t he just say what he felt? Why did Tallulah have to be so difficult? Most people saw them as a loving mother and son, but it was not like that at all. At times, it seemed as if Tallulah didn’t care about Henry, especially when she brought home Carl. Carl and Magnus were a double team of trouble for Henry, often bullying him and saying the most awful things to him. They didn’t care about anyone or anything. And Carl has had no problem giving Henry any jab he could while he visited. And as usual, Tallulah never noticed or questioned it. Once, Carl blatantly called Henry a vampire in front of Tallulah, and all she did was shook it off, telling him to not be late for work.

Slipping into his painting clothes, he looked at his work one last time before painting the whole wall white. This wall was his canvas, the only window he had to the world outside, a world he would never see. Jim entered his thoughts, making Henry smile. Jim sounded so happy as he told Henry about the stars, he sounded like he was in his element. And then there was the slight but wonderful touch of his fingers. Was it an accident or did he do it on purpose? And was the look in his eye something that he saw reflected in Henry or just his wishful thinking?

Letting the paint dry, Henry stripped to his boxers and slipped into bed. Not long after he was having one of his dreams. Ever since the accident, Henry had painful and terrible dreams of that day. He felt his skin burning and the sun blinding him. Everything was so painful, everything was on fire. Jolting awake, Henry sat up, his heart pounding and his forehead covered in sweat. Taking in some deep breaths, Henry tried to control his rapidly beating heart. Once he collected his bearings, he felt a sting on his right arm. Looking down, he groaned in annoyance. During these awful dreams, he would scratch at his burns, often causing them to cut and bleed terribly.

He cleaned up his wound and laid down in his bed, just staring at the ceiling. He wished Jim was here, to talk to him, get his mind off of the memories. His eyes closed again and he dreamt of Jim. They were back at the lake, staring up at the stars without a care. Jim’s hand had rested on top of Henry’s, the warm hand curling itself around Henry’s until they were holding hands. He was so beautiful, those eyes were unreal to him, so intense and gentle. Without warning, Jim leaned into Henry, his beautiful lips pressing against his, giving him a wonderful kiss.

The feeling made Henry’s heart pound, never having a kiss before. His eyes were closed for a moment before opening them to see Jim’s smiling face. Leaning in again, they kissed, this time longer, closer. Jim’s hands held Henry’s face, holding them with a gentleness that felt unreal. A tightening and ache in his stomach grew and he felt dizzy from ecstasy. Was this how it felt to be in love? Was this what it felt like to be happy?

And then he woke up.

The morning light through the curtains dance against the walls and the soft sound of a dog barking brought Henry back to reality. Stretching in the bed, Henry smiled. The dream was wonderful, beautiful and sad. Sad because Henry was certain that his feelings were one sided, that Jim could have anyone he wanted, why would he want a freak like him? Still, it couldn’t hurt to dream.

Sitting up in bed, he stared at the blank white wall and had gotten an idea.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: A gay slur is dropped in here.

Chapter Six:

Tonight was the night of the fair, Henry felt both excited and nervous. This wasn’t a date, he kept telling himself, but it didn’t stop him from feeling giddy over this. Either way, it will be nice to just go out and spend time with someone, someone as nice as Jim. Tallulah had questioned his going out, giving a questioning glance when he said he was going out with Jim. She still was unsure of him, but thankfully didn’t get into any arguments before leaving.

The doorbell rang, prompting Tallulah to get to the door before Henry. Jim stood there, wearing his usual jean jacket, a dark blue stripe shirt and jeans. God, he looked so handsome. “Hi there, sweet thing.” Tallulah spoke in her soft sweet voice. “I hear you’re taking Henry to the fair.”

Jim smiled. “He invited me and sounds like it’d be fun.”

“Well,” she said, leaning against the doorway, “Maybe you ought to come in afterwards, have a drink or two. I still owe you that readin’.”

Chuckling nervously, Jim kindly replied, “We’ll see.”

Henry thankfully appeared, wearing a gray shirt and plaid button down and his satchel across his body. “Hey, sorry to keep you waiting.”

“That’s ok.” Jim forced a smile and waved Tallulah goodbye. Henry followed suit and they both got into the car. As they drove, Jim looked over at Henry, who was leaning against the window, the wind gently blowing against his face and hair. He looked so soft and beautiful. “I really appreciate you asking me to the fair. It’s been a while since I’ve done anything remotely fun.”

Henry smiled. “I’m glad. Not that you haven’t had fun, but that you are going to have fun.”

Jim chuckled. God, he was so cute. They pulled up to the small fair behind the barn. It wasn’t much, there were games, food stands, tents for shows and some rides. It reminded Jim of when the family went when he and Medina were twins, when things were better. They went through the fair, driving the bumper cars, watching Melinda win at apple bobbing and played games. Henry wasn’t very good, but Jim did a good job at the ring toss.

“Medina and I would often play this when we were younger.”

“You’re very close to your sister.” Henry observed fondly.

Taking the stuff bull dog from the vender, Jim nodded. “My weirdo twin. She seems to be the only person in the world that gets me. Medina is much stronger than me in many ways. I wish I could be more like her.”

Henry saw a cloud of sadness come over his eyes, which Jim tried to push away and they moved onto another game.

“Five bucks to see the freaks!” They heard vaguely behind them. “Two head cat, three legged dog and some really ugly women.” Carl laughed, taking another swig of the beer.

“Hey Henry!” Magnus yelled, “Why don’t you come over! You’d feel right at home!”

Jim watched as Henry’s face betrayed anxiety and his hands shake from fear, despite him trying to ignore them. Between that first day in the town and now, Jim knew that those two guys were the towns overgrown bullies. It disgusted him to hear how they spoke about Tallulah like that in front of Henry, making cruel jokes about Henry not being normal. He had the urge to just grab his hand and hold it until he stopped shaking, but the chance never came.

“Hey, I’m talking to you!” Carl stepped forward and grabbed Henry by his shirt. Before he knew what happened, Henry was punched in the face, falling backwards.

Without thinking, Jim punched Carl so hard he fell right on his back. “Leave him alone!”

Magnus kneeled down, helping Carl up, trying to laugh it off. “Oho! Looks like the faggot has a bodyguard.”

“Fuck yeah he does,” Jim growled, “And if you got a problem with that, you can talk it over with my fists again.”

Henry grabbed Jim’s jacket and murmured “Let’s just go.”

“That’s right,” Carl said, rubbing his jaw as a shit eating grin appeared. “Move along.”

Jim followed Henry, making him stop. “Let me see.” Gently taking Henry’s face into his hands, he inspected the cheek. “Shit, there’ll be a good bruise there. I’m sorry.”

“I can take care of myself.” Henry slipped away, feeling upset and embarrassed.

Jim followed Henry to the car and called to him. “What happened just there wasn’t right. Those assholes should know that they can’t do that.”

“I don’t need your help!” Henry harshly said.

As much as it hurt Jim to hear him act like this, he knew that Henry was just hurt, he wasn’t really angry at Jim. “It doesn’t hurt to have some help. Come on, let me drive you home.”

“I’ll walk.” Henry huffed and began his trip. It was just so embarrassing, to have Jim see just how pathetic he was, to have him see just how everyone viewed him. Nothing more than a freak who belonged in a freak show. He was just angry; angry at Carl and Magnus, angry at Tallulah, angry at fate giving him this awful skin condition. But he wasn’t angry at Jim. No one ever really stood up for him the way Jim did for him. He wanted to go back and say he was sorry for acting like that, sorry that he was angry at him. But maybe he just needed to cool off before he saw him again.

Back home, Henry sat in the living room sitting on the couch and just thinking of Jim. It was hard, he was sure he was falling for him and he knew he was not the sort of person Jim would ever be interested in. Henry wasn’t bold like Jim, wasn’t outgoing or smart. Why did Jim want to spend so much time with him?

“These damn dreams are gonna drive your momma crazy. I feels like I have the towns’ worries inside my head.” Tallulah came in, immediately going to the bottle and pouring herself a drink. Sitting in her chair, she took a gulp. “Did you have a nice time?”

“It was alright.”

Tallulah turned the light on, seeing clearly a bruise on his cheek. Setting her cup down she stood over him, her hand grasping his chin. “What happened to your face?”

Smacking her hand off him, he replied. “Nothin’.”

Grabbing it again, this time for roughly, she looked at it closely. “Was it Jim? Tell me, was it Jim?”

“No, it wasn’t Jim. Not everything that happens is Jim’s fault.” He calmly said, smacking her hand away again.

“I’ll be Goddamned if I let anyone lay a hand on my baby! I am this town’s eyes and ears!” She proclaimed while pouring a fresh drink.

“So the hell what, Tallulah?” Henry asked, making her stop. “That hasn’t stopped anyone before, now has it?” Frustrated, he left her dumbfounded and stormed off to bed.

The next day was cooler than it had been the entire week, a cool gentle breeze swept through the small town. Jim felt the room was too hot, he felt like his head was spinning, closed in and no escape. He tried sitting out on the balcony, but it didn’t help. It felt as though it kept getting worse, trying to quit cold turkey. His body was aching, his mind was reeling and he knew that he didn’t act like himself when he was like this. He became claustrophobic, he felt sick, he was afraid. If only Medina was here.

But then an idea came to mind. He didn’t want to bother him, he hated to think that he would be a burden to someone who was so good to him, but he was scared to be alone. He didn’t even drive, he just ran down to Henry’s house, hoping that he’d let him in. Reaching the door, he could hear Tallulah’s voice coming from inside. Deciding on not wanting to deal with her, he went around the house and found the window into Henry’s room.

Henry jumped at the sound of knocking at his window, surprised to see Jim. Surprise turned to worry when he saw how scared Jim looked, how his eyes were filled with tears. Hurrying to the window, he flung it opened and helped Jim in. “Jim, what’s wrong?”

Once in the room, Jim held onto Henry for dear life. “I’m scared Henry. I can’t be alone. Please let me stay.”

Henry never saw Jim like this, it was almost terrifying, but he knew that Jim needed him and so he pushed his own fear aside and helped Jim to the bed. “Stay here, I’ll get some water.” He hurried out of his room and went to the kitchen to get a cup.

“What’s up Henry?”

Henry froze at the sound of his voice, but he continued on, trying not to think of Carl. Carl who was sitting at the kitchen table like he belonged there, with his arm around Tallulah.

“Henry, Carl just spoke to you.”

Turning, Henry murmured a “hey” and walked back out. Carl scoffed. “Your boy can be so weird.”

Giving him a gentle slap on the arm, Tallulah said, “Watch what you say. That’s my boy you’re talking about. Now, where were we?”

Returning to his bedroom, Henry found Jim laying back on the bed, his hands over his face, groaning. Kneeling beside him, he gently shook his arm. “Hey, Jim. Drink this up, ok?”

Jim sat up and drank the water as if he was dying of thirst. His body was shaking, he felt cold and he felt pathetic. “I’m sorry to do this to you. I didn’t know what else to do.”

Sitting beside him, Henry rubbed Jim’s back in soothing circles. “It’s alright. What’s wrong?”

A tear fell into the glass and Jim sniffled. “You’ll be disappointed in me when I tell you.” Henry shook his head and stayed silent for Jim to continue on. “I’ve been dealing with drug addiction for years. It started when I was in high school, when my family moved to Palos Verdes. My parents…their marriage was falling apart before, but when we moved, it reached a breaking point. After the divorce, Mom kept on depending on me to be the man of the house. She was so difficult at times, it felt like I was failing her. And Dad.” He sighed, more tears falling. “I didn’t mean to hit him, but when he hit me, I just got so mad. I was so mad about everything. The pills helped make it easier, made me feel happy. I nearly OD’d a few times, I just couldn’t stop, no matter what Medina said to me. It just felt like no one could help me, no one could understand. I want to stop, I just want the pain to stop. I just want everything to stop.”

It broke Henry’s heart to hear Jim’s story. He knew something was wrong, that Jim was running from something, but it was hard to hear just how down Jim had been, so down that he had to resort to something as terrible as drugs to ease the pain. “It’s ok Jim. You’re here now, I’ll help you.”

Feeling a sense of security, Jim shifted and let his head rest on Henry’s lap. He had done this before with Medina, it was a safe position for him, one of comfort. At first, Henry was surprised at the gesture, but he gladly allowed it, letting his hand run through Jim’s hair. For a while they stayed like this, a gentle quietness that eased them, and it felt like there was no world beyond this one. Somehow, they shifted to laying on the bed, facing each other. Henry running soft circles on Jim’s hand, as Jim just let it out.

“Maybe I am like my mom, a freak, unable to do anything right. I couldn’t even help her before abandoning her. Those bruises, they came from her. For whatever reason, she thought I was dad and just went ballistic. Why couldn’t I help her? I was the man of the house, she needed me and I couldn’t help her.” He asked, his voice cracking.

“You did as much as you could. Jim, you are her son, not her therapist. You can be there to support her, love her, but you cannot carry her burden. That’s not your job. You cannot destroy your life to help hers. You deserve more than that. You are an amazing, wonderful beautiful man, and not at all a freak. The only freak here is me.”

“Hey, no you’re not. You are the sweetest guy I know. The things you can do with a paint brush, it’s incredible. Poetic, artistic, sensitive. There isn’t too many people out there in the world that is as understanding as you. It’s not too difficult to see why anyone would fall for you.”

Stunned by the words, Henry could feel his heart beating furiously against his chest. Could it be at all possible?

Jim’s eyes drooped a bit and then he opened them again. “I’m a little tired. Can I rest for a bit?”

“Uh, sure. I’ll be here if you need me.” Henry said.

Jim closed his eyes and smiled. He moved closer, pressing his forehead to Henry’s. For a brief moment, Henry felt Jim’s lips brush against his nose and it was such a wonderful feeling. More than anything, Henry wanted to believe that Jim felt the way he did, but he also had to face the reality that it wouldn’t work out. So he laid there with Jim, enjoying the gentle press of Jim’s forehead, the soft breaths against his skin, and the kiss Jim had never meant to give him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for being so behind. It's has been a crazy time for me but I still am devoted to these two boys. I hope you all still are.

Chapter Seven

Hours later Jim woke, feeling a little dazed and confused. His eyes first laid on Henry, who was also asleep before him. That’s right, I went to Henry. He is just too wonderful and I am nothing but a screw up, he thinks. Henry deserves better than a former druggie who can’t get his life together. Checking his watch, it was quarter to four, he needed to get to work. Trying to get up without Henry waking, Jim slipped off the bed and as he stood, he noticed the painting on the wall. It was a huge ocean that spread all across the wall, with big beautiful blue waves crashing against the water. He could almost hear it, he could taste the sea water and hear his sister’s laugh.

“Do you like it?” Henry sat up, a sleepy smile on his face.

“It’s incredible. It’s like you’ve been there before.”

Henry shook his head. “No. I’d love to one time, but that won’t happen.”

Jim looked back at the painting and then smiled. “Listen, I have to get going, I’ll see you at the diner. Maybe afterwards, we could go to the lake.”

Henry smiled. “Sure, after Arthur’s. When you get off of work, swing on by.”

“Will do.” He headed for the bedroom door, but then paused. “Uh, I’ll go through the window. Henry?” He began, pausing at the window. “Thank you for everything.” And then he disappeared.

Later that night, Jim bounced into the diner, positive that Melinda and Jack would be fine with his surprise. When he came in, he froze seeing Tallulah sitting there at the counter. Just like the first time they had met, her smile looked sweet, but her eyes were as sharp as nails. “Jim, a pleasure to see you again. I’d like some coffee, please.”

Carefully moving behind the counter, he grabbed the coffee pot and poured in her cup. “How are you this evening?”

“Oh, fine. I just wanted to talk about Henry.” Jim nodded, trying his best to be nonchalant. “You see Jim, I noticed that bruise on his cheek.”

“Oh, yeah,” He figured she’d want to know about that. “That was-”

“Jim.” She interrupted harshly, “I am talkin’. Henry has never come home like that. And he most certainly never spoke back to me the way he did when I questioned him. Now, whatever it is that you are runnin’ from, whatever it is you are keepin’ from him, keep it far away from him. There is a darkness in you and I won’t let you tarnish my precious baby boy.”

“Not for nothing, ma’am,” Jim said, his hands resting on the counter wide. “But Henry is a grown man, he may do as he wishes with whoever he wants. And if there is a riff between the two of you, then maybe it was always there. That has nothing to do with me. So, if I were you, I’d talk to your son like he was a man, not some baby boy, and take responsibility for your mistakes.” Giving her his best smile, he said, “Hope your coffee isn’t too bitter to swallow.”

The bell rang and both turned to see Henry standing there, shocked by the sight. “Tallulah, what you doin’ here?”

“Just having a chat with Jim.” Leaving five bucks on the counter, Tallulah grabbed her purse. “I hope you’ll keep in mind what I said, Jim.”

“Just as long as you keep in mind what I said, ma’am.”

Tallulah stormed out, leaving Henry to bite his lip and stare at Jim in concern. Sitting at his seat, he asked, “What did she want?”

“Just to talk.” Jim shrugged, not letting her get an upper hand on him. She wasn’t too hard to figure out after her little talk; she was in ways like his own mom, the beloved smother. Well, he hoped that his little plan will help Henry to realize just what it was he was missing out.

“It didn’t look like it was a nice talk.”

“I’ve had worse. Listen, don’t worry about what she does too much. I’m a big boy.”

Henry chuckled. “Yeah, I can see.”

Melinda popped out from the back and the evening went on as usual. Jim sat in the chair was he watched Henry paint on an empty wall, while Arthur worked on a car. “Jim, could you pass me that?” Handing Arthur the wrench, Arthur said to Jim, “So, Henry told me that you had an interest in photography.”

“Uh, yeah, kind of. It looks like it’d be something I could do in my spare time.”

Wiping his hands, Arthur went over to his desk and pulled out a camera. “Here, it’s not as new or fancy as these cameras or phones you kids have nowadays, but it still takes some pretty damn good pictures.”

Taking it, Jim inspected it. It was a Minolta HI-Matic camera with a neck strap, Jim had read about those. “This looks great. How much?”

“Ah, nothing.” Arthur waved off. “I’ve been meaning to get rid of the old thing and considering how good of a friend you are to Henry.” Henry, although in not so many words, revealed to Arthur just how much he liked Jim. It was clear in the way that Henry talked about how Jim had brought him to the bookstore, stood up for him and had been the closest thing to a friend that Arthur had ever known. And whether either boy knew it, but there was a certain gleam in their eyes when they looked at each other. Arthur never judged people for who they liked, the world was filled with too much hate and sadness, who cared who we loved while living this life?

“So, Jim,” Arthur continued while working on the car again, “Got any family you left behind?”

“I left my parents behind. Now ask who I’ll be missing when gone?” Jim answered thoughtfully.

“Jim has a twin sister, Medina.” Henry remembered faithfully.

“Who I probably should give a quick call.” Jim set the camera down and stood. “Is there a phone around?”

“There’s one in the front office you can use.” Arthur nodded towards the room and once alone with Henry, he gave him a coy smile. “So, Henry, looks like you and Jim seem to be close.”

Henry paused from his painting and looked back. “We’re just friends.”

Arthur chuckled, “Yeah, well, there’s a difference in being friendly and friendlier.”

Henry blushed but shook his head. “He could have anyone. Why would he pick me?”

“Let me tell you something, Henry,” Arthur came over, making the young man look him square in the eyes. “You are a good man, a better man than most of these fools in town. Nothing matters unless you got a good heart to go with it. You got one of the best hearts around. Don’t think so low of yourself. Here’s a chance to be happy, take it.” Jim returned, a weak smile on his face, “Everything ok?”

“Yeah. I just, I feel as though my sister is holding something back.”

“Are you going to leave?” Henry asked with note of sorrow in his voice.

After a moment, Jim shook his head. “No. There’s a reason Medina isn’t telling me something. I have to trust her. Last time I didn’t, I got myself into trouble.” He then smiled, “And besides, I’m liking it here. And it’s people.”

Arthur gave Henry a look that read “I told you so”, before going back to his car. Afterwards, Jim and Henry went to the lake, peacefully floating as they stared up to the stars. Jim had a plan for him and Henry, something that he hoped Henry would be willing to do. “I remember once Medina and I went out to surf during the night time, it was cold but it was peaceful. There’s nothing more peaceful than being on the beach at night, just you, the waves and the endless sky.”

Henry listened intently, as he always did whenever Jim spoke, and smiled. “I’m sure that must be nice.”

Jim smiled and after they slipped out and changed, Jim watched as the water glistened on Henry’s lean body, and with the moonlight, it looked almost like stardust rolling off his body. With or without the scars, Henry was beautiful. There wasn’t anyone like Henry in all of Palos Verdes, and even though it was a rough journey, Jim was glad that it led him here. “Hey. I have an idea. Would you like to see me surf?”

Henry chuckled. “I wish, but I’m ‘fraid that the lake doesn’t give much waves.”

“No,” Jim explained, growing excited, “Not here. Let me take you to a beach and show you.”

“Jim…”

“Please don’t say no. You deserve to see the beach. Everyone should see the beach, at least once in their life. Let’s go, Henry. Come with me.”

Henry had always wanted to see a beach, to smell the salt water and hear the waves in person. But the sun was everywhere on the beach. “I am not sure. What about work?”

“I already spoke with Melinda, we can have the next night together.” Jim inched closer and took Henry’s hands into his. “It’ll be fine, I promise that I will take care of you. Take this chance with me.”

Henry’s face turned red from embarrassment as well as joy. This could be his only chance to take a chance, to dare when he was too afraid to. His heart was pounding in his ears so loudly he barely heard himself saying yes. The excitement on Jim’s face was so beautiful and bright. Jim helped Henry up and brought him to the car. “Come on. We go now, we’ll make it on time.”

Henry laughed, not caring about anything or anyone, but Jim. Tallulah crossed his mind for a brief second, but he decided that he wouldn’t worry too much about her. They needed this day apart. If she can just up and go as she pleased well then so can he. The ride was peaceful and a breeze. The quiet road seemed to be open to all possibilities and the nerves seemed to fly out the window the further and further away they went. Jim had gone on a road trip many times as a kid, back when the days were kinder and more carefree. This time with Henry, everything was calmer, more intimate. They played some songs to which Jim loudly sang along, prompting Henry to carefully sing with him.

This is what it’s like, Henry thought, to be like everyone else. To sing, laugh and smile with people you want to be with. To feel wanted.

They finally rolled up to the beach and Jim stared at the amazing sight; the sun rising with the sky looking purple and pink, Henry sleeping beside him. Without thinking, his hand reached up to caress his cheek and he smiled when Henry woke, giving him a sleepy smile. Soon he realized just where they were and the look of sheer wonder on his face made Jim feel the happiest he had ever been in a long time. Maybe it wasn’t exactly the same as being on the beach, but he was here and once the sun went down, then they could be free.

There was a small beach diner that they ate, sitting right by the window, safe from the sun but free to stare at the waves. No one questioned him or his scars, they didn’t stare or make him feel like he was a freak. Here, in this safe haven, Henry was simply Henry. Jim felt the same way. Away from his parents, from heavy expectations, from drugs and fear, Jim could feel like his true self.

“Henry.”

“What?” He asked, breaking his gaze from the blue waves.

“Look.” He watched as Henry looked around, confused. “No one to stop us.” He then slid his hand across the table and took Henry’s hand into his.

Tallulah’s lessons about signs and messages all seemed silly to Henry, but this time, Henry couldn’t help but to feel confident that this was a sign. An unspoken sign that there was something more between them. Henry felt bold and held Jim’s hand back, giving it a reassuring squeeze. They ate their breakfast like that the rest of the time.

 

Tallulah woke late in the morning and began her day with some toast and a cigarette. Mornings were usually quiet around here, Henry and she usually went about their day, but it was strange that he wasn’t sitting at the table sketching. Tallulah couldn’t sleep well last night, her dreams were filled with pain and torment. This dream was one of her most terrifying ones, for it was a dream about losing Henry. He was all she had left, the only really good thing she had in her life.

Noon rolled around and she heard nothing from Henry. She knocked on his door, softly calling his name. She knocked again and went in. Her heart dropped to her stomach when she saw that his room was empty. She searched the house all over, and he was nowhere. Where could he be? Grabbing her purse, she hurried off to the diner, hoping that Melinda might know.

“Oh, gosh, you wouldn’t believe it! Jim last night asked if he could take the tonight off, said he wanted to surprise Henry with a trip to the beach. How sweet is that? You know, Tallulah, those two have been getting real close. Good for Henry and good for Jim. They really are sweet boys.”

Tallulah merely smiled and nodded, trying to hold back the tears. Her baby was out there, in danger and he didn’t even tell her. He went away with that boy. Jim, Jim Mason. She knew that boy was trouble. If anything happened to her baby, Jim would pay, she’d make sure of it. Hell hath no fury like woman scorned, as they say.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight:

Henry sat in the car, waiting for Jim to reappear from the changing room. Jim promised to show Henry his surfing skills, despite his insistence that he was not that good. For Henry, it wasn’t just a chance to watch Jim do something incredible, but a chance for him to live an experience he wondered about through Jim.

Jim had changed into his wetsuit, grabbing the surfboard from the top of his car and gave him a smile before heading towards the beach. Henry watched as Jim rushed to the waters, swimming out to shore with the board. Never had he seen anything more graceful, more beautiful than Jim surfing. He could have watched him for hours, he could have watch Jim do anything for hours. As the waters died down, Jim swam back carrying the board under his arm. “Did you see that? What did you think?” Jim looked so happy, he practically glowed.

Henry smiled back, “It was amazing! How did you learn to do that?”

“Medina taught me. You should see her surf, she’s the one that’s amazing.” Jim began to slip the suit off letting his torso breath, making Henry blush and turn away. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to or that he was even bothered by people being undressed before him, it’s just how beautiful Jim was and it made him feel so warm and tingly. The way the sun shined on him, the water rolling down his face and dripping onto his chest.

The car was parked right beside the sand so Jim laid a towel down beside the car, slipped the wetsuit completely off and laid down with his eyes closed. After a few quiet moments, Henry asked, “How does that feel? To let the sun touch you for longer than a second?”

Jim smiled and sat up. “Come here.” He patted to the slim spot between the shadow and the sun, making Henry carefully slip from the seat to the pavement. Jim inched closer, his front in shadow and he took Henry’s hand to place it on his chest. Henry jumped a little, not just the touch of Jim’s bare chest, but because of how warm it was. It was beyond the usual body heat that people generate, but a warmth that made Henry feel warm himself. His skin felt so soft, whether it had been out in the sun or not. He smelled of sea salt and his eyes were more wonderful than a thousand oceans. If he hadn’t been such a coward, Henry would have kissed him right then and there. But all he could do was release a shaky sigh and smiled widely.

The beach wasn’t crowded, there were a few people playing and relaxing on the beach. Henry and Jim didn’t feel at all self-conscious about being together, Jim was having a blast. This had been the most himself he had felt in a long time. No parents to criticize or embarrass him, no drugs, no bad influencers, just Henry. Jim brought his camera along and each were taking turns shooting pictures. Henry caught one of Jim as he was tossing back a Frisbee that landed near them, Jim caught Henry making a sand castle. They took plenty of pictures together and even one where Henry pressed a kiss to Jim’s cheek.

As the sun went down and people began to leave, Jim brought Henry to the waters. It was so strange for Henry to walk on the sand, he hadn’t felt that since he was a child. It was still warm from the sun, and the feeling of the water crashing onto his legs was just indescribable. The waters turned orange and pink as the sun went down, all that could be heard was the seagulls cawing and the waves rolling. Jim took Henry’s hand into his and they just stood there for the longest moment.

“This,” Henry whispered, unable to speak anything louder for fear of not trusting his voice, “This is beautiful.”

Jim nodded and looked at Henry. “It is, it’s always been. But now, now it’s even more amazing.” Pulling the camera out, he snapped a picture of Henry’s awed face staring out the waters. “Beautiful.”

 

Tallulah paced around the house, smoking her third cigarette within the hour. Where is he? Why hasn’t he called? Carl had visited, Tallulah was too absorbed in worry to even consider him.

“Calm down, he’s a grown fucking man. I can’t imagine he’d go too far. Hidin’ under a shade or rock.”

“He doesn’t think he ought to call his mama? Let her know so she’s not dying from grief and worry.”

“Jesus, relax. Thought you’d be grateful. ‘Bout time he was getting lucky. Though, I wouldn’t call being a fag being lucky.”

She whipped around and slapped him clear across the face. “That is my goddamn son you are talkin’ ‘bout. Get the fuck outta here, Carl. Don’t think you’d be comin’ back any time soon.”

Carl shook his head. “Fine. You two belong to each other. Pair of freaks.” Grabbing his coat off the chair, he stormed out of the house.

Tallulah immediately went to her bottle and poured herself a stiff drink. She’s going to need something to keep her steady. It was all coming back to her, the day she made her biggest mistake. Why did he have to leave? Why couldn’t he understand that this was how she was? He married her knowing who and what she was and yet he wanted to chain her down and make her act how he wanted her to act.

Please, Tallulah, not another drink tonight. Tallulah, stay home tonight, Henry and I miss you.

Try and stop her from being who she was. Huh, he should be grateful that she liked him enough to be with him and to have his child. But he became insufferable after the baby came. Wanted her home with him all the time. God, if she could go back, she’d have left before he did. This town gave her nothing, nothing but problems. Henry was the only thing she had in this life and now life wanted to take him away from her. Like hell it will.

 

It was beautiful, the sight of stars in the waters. It was as though the sky was infinite and that he and Jim were flying through the night sky. The water was cool, the night was quiet and it felt as though there was no one else in this world but them. If it could only be like this forever. Jim taught Henry how to stand on the surf board, he managed to surf a small wave before crashing. Henry laughed and couldn’t believe that he managed to actually get on a surf board in the water. Jim was more than proud and more than happy to see Henry’s ecstatic expression. This trip was certainly worth it.

They dressed and laid out on the blanket that Jim had in the car, staring up at the sky and into the stars. It was so beautiful, so peaceful. “Let’s not go back,” Henry said suddenly, filled with hope. Sitting up he looked down at Jim. “I’m serious. Let’s just go. We can find some nice place to stay, you surf, I’ll paint. It’ll be wonderful.”

Jim smiled. “That would be wonderful. A place with peace and quiet. I never really had that.”

“So let’s do it.”

Jim looked up at him. He was so beautiful, inside and out. Nothing in his life ever prepared him for Henry Pearl. His hand went to his cheek and kept it there. Henry held it there, enjoying the touch. Then, carefully, Henry leaned down, his hands cradling Jim’s and he pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. Jim had kissed plenty of girls before and a boy, but none of them had lips quite like Henry’s. So soft and it made his toes curl at the feeling. When Henry pulled away, he looked at him as if he was afraid that he did the wrong thing. Jim only smiled at him and brought him back down for another kiss.

God how he love him. Jim loved Henry, this honest to goodness man who saved him. Jim was hardly brave when it came to his love life but he was so grateful he took this chance with Henry. He loved Henry and everything felt right for the first time. Henry had never been in love before, and he knew no one had ever been in love with him. He was always so alone, often wondering how nice it would feel to be in love. It was something he could never explain, for the feeling was beyond description and now he couldn’t imagine living life without it.

Jim leaned up, rolling Henry onto his back, kissing him still. Jim snaked his hand under Henry’s shirt, feeling both the smooth and the rough skin, making Henry gasp at the sensation. Jim moved his lips to Henry’s neck, placing feathery touches to the burn, making Henry whimper.

“Jim, I, um, I should tell you something.”

Pulling away, Jim looked down, concerned. “Everything ok?”

“Yeah, just um,” Henry blushed but then quickly spit out. “Imavirgin.”

It took Jim a moment to decipher what he actually said, but once he did, he just smiled and kissed his forehead. “That’s ok. Me too.”

Henry looked up at him wide eyed. “You? I mean, you can be but really?”

Jim nodded. “There was this one girl, but we had only seen each other a few times, and I did like her, but I wasn’t in love. Mom made me break up with her. Haven’t been with anyone since.”

Henry smiled but then felt guilty. He shouldn’t feel glad that Jim was a virgin too, he shouldn’t feel glad to think Jim could be all his, but he was. Jim brushed his hand across Henry’s forehead, wiping away a strand of hair. “Listen, if you don’t want to, we don’t. It’s ok.”

Henry shook his head. “I do, oh boy do I really want to. It’s just, I don’t want to disappoint you.”

“You could never disappoint me.”

Henry kissed him, wrapping his arms around Jim, bringing him closer. Wanting to feel more of him, Henry slipped Jim’s jacket off, feeling the muscles underneath the white t shirt. Henry had never been this close to another human being and he was absolutely drinking in every moment of it. Jim stopped to slip his shirt off, leaving Henry to run his slender hands everywhere, feeling the perfectly smooth skin. Henry couldn’t find it within him to stop Jim from removing the sweater from his body, even though he began to feel insecure.

“Hey,” Jim cooed, caressing his face, “Its ok. You’re beautiful.”

Henry watched in awe as Jim carefully unbuttoned his jeans, letting Jim see the other burns around his legs. No one except his mother knew about those, and now Jim knew. He gasped when Jim ran his hands down his legs, pressing kisses to the burns and he stared at him dumbly as Jim slipped the boxers from him, leaving Henry completely exposed. “God, you’re perfect.” Him? Perfect? He nearly was going to tell him that it was the other way around, but Jim lowered himself and wrapped his lips around Henry.

Jim never knew just how much he’d enjoy watching Henry come undone. He loved seeing how breathless he was as he sucked and licked him, how his hands gripped his hair, causing him to groan. Henry was so sweet, so responsive to everything Jim did. Jim wanted to see him come undone, he really wanted to, but that would have to wait. Removing himself from Henry, despite his soft groan of protest, Jim fumbled with his own pants and underwear, now suddenly eager to feel him.

“Jim?” Henry asked tenderly. “Can I… can I?” Henry sat up and touch Jim, from his chest to lower stomach until he touched Jim’s cock. Henry just had to taste it and how incredible it was to feel it in his mouth. “Oh Jim, you taste so good.” Henry smiled when he heard him shudder and curse under his breath. Jim remembered when all the other guys talked about their sexual escapees and how it felt, but Jim couldn’t imagine there being any words to describe just how amazing the sensation was. “Henry, fuck, Henry stop.” Jim softly moaned.

Sitting back up, Henry ticked his hair behind his ear. “Sorry, was I bad?”

Jim laughed. “Far from it, just didn’t want to come yet. Rather come with you.” Kissing him again, Jim and Henry fell back onto the blanket, their bodies wrapping around each other. Henry had nervously reached out to Jim and guided him as he shifted that his legs wrapped around Jim. “Are you sure, Henry?”

Henry nodded, “Yeah. I am.”

Jim carefully and slowly entered him, leaving them both gasping and shocked by the sensation. They just held onto each other, taking a moment to be used to this strange but wonderful feeling. “You ok?”

Henry nodded. “Just…different, that’s all. But I like it.”

With that, Jim kissed him, carefully thrusting into him. Jim couldn’t keep his lips off of Henry. He tasted so sweet and he needed to keep reminding himself that this was real, that this moment was just the beginning of everything good.

Henry’s fingers dug into Jim’s back, holding onto him desperately, as if afraid he was going to slip away. Henry looked up at the stars above, a beautiful endless sky the lit the way for them, brought them here where no one could judge them or stop them from loving. This had to be what heaven felt like; surrounded by beauty, being dearly loved and at last knowing what intense pleasure felt like.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Parental abuse in this chapter

Chapter Nine:

Jim woke, looking up at the purple sky. Feeling Henry’s arms around him, he brought him closer, his face buried in his hair. _Henry, Henry Henry_ , Jim’s mind echoed, loving the sound. Jim didn’t usually believe that things happen for a reason, but he couldn’t deny that all that had happened had led him here, being so in love and blessed with this wonderful man that he didn’t believed he deserved. As his hands carefully ran over a scar, Jim’s mind caught up with him. The sun. Now wide awake, he realized he had to get Henry out from the sun.

“Henry. Henry! Wake up!”

Henry groaned, looking up at him with sleepy eyes. “No, stay.”

“Henry, the sun will be up soon. We have to get away.”

Henry looked up, and he too was awake. “Shit! What time is it?”

Sitting up, Jim looked at his watch. “5:09. We have some time, but we need to hurry.”

They dressed in rushed silence, giving each other a smile as they did, Henry blushing as Jim winked at him. Taking his hand, Henry ran with Jim, laughing as they did. “Wait, wait.” Henry stopped Jim, watching the sun rising over the waters. Henry sighed, “Nothing in my life could ever be this wonderful. And it’s all because of you.”

Wrapping an arm around Henry’s shoulder, Jim pressed a kiss to his forehead, watching the sun rise for a while before they hurried off back home. It was the late afternoon when they came back, the sun was high. Grabbing the blanket, Jim helped shield Henry from the sun, getting him into the safety of his home.

“Well, I’ll be goddamned! He lives!” They turned and saw Tallulah standing at the end of the hallway, a drink in her hand. “Do you want to tell me where the hell you’ve been? For two fucking days? Not a single fucking word?”

“Tallulah, we’re tired. Just leave us alone.”

She scoffed. “Don’t give me that I’m tired Tallulah bullshit.” Looking at his shirt, she gestured to it with disgust. “And what is this? Have either of you forgot about your condition, the fact you could fucking die?”

“It’s not something you ever make me forget.” Henry sneered. “Come on, Tallulah, you’re all knowing. Couldn’t you see I was fine?”

Seething, Tallulah stepped up to Henry. She was so small compared to him, but her fury made her eight feet tall. Jim couldn’t lie, it was terrifying. “Don’t you talk back to me, Henry Pearl. I have given everything to keep you safe. Every last day and night and I’ll be goddamned if I let you disrespect me!” Turning to Jim, she pointed her finger at him. “And you! You put him in danger. What the hell were you thinking?”

“Leave Jim alone!” Henry stepped in, “He was only doing what you should have done for me. Let me see life outside of Battlecreek.”

Tallulah scoffed, “Really? And I bet he got to see a whole side of you no one else ever seen.” Grabbing Henry’s face, turning it to get a better look at his unscarred neck, she saw the hickeys from the previous night. ”That’s just great. Give yourself to the first trash who looks at you.”

Henry, who had tears in his eyes, stared right at her and harshly remarked, “I guess I learned it from the best.”

Tallulah’s eyes widened and as sharp as lightening, her hand went flying across his face. Causing Henry to stumble back and hit into the coat rack. “Get out then! If that’s how you’ll treat me, then I won’t have you staying here. Get out!” She hollered, hurrying into the living room to fill up her glass. Before Henry or Tallulah could say another word, Jim pulled him away, hurrying back to the car and driving off to Nelson’s.

Henry sat there, completely in shock. Tallulah never hit him before, never yelled like that. His body was so numb and he barely focused on what was happening around him. Jim recognized that look, it was how he looked after leaving home. Now it was Jim’s turn to take care of Henry. Pulling up to the house, Jim covered Henry and brought him in for safety. Leading him up to his room, he sat Henry down on the bed.

“Henry? Henry, can you hear me?” Getting a cup from the bathroom, he had Henry drink it. “She shouldn’t have done that, you didn’t deserve any of that.”

Henry leaned forward, clutching the cup and he softly began to cry.

“Is everything alright?” Ms. Nelson appeared in the doorway, looking at Henry with concern.

“Henry had some trouble,” Jim explained to her loud enough for her to hear. “Would it be alright if he stays here for a few days?”

“Well,” she hesitated, but looking at Henry and then at Jim she nodded. “I’ll bring some pillows and a blanket for him. I also have a cot down in the basement. Jim, if you would come and grab it.”” She left to grab said items, leaving Jim and Henry alone.

“It’ll be alright,” Jim assured, “I’ll take care of you.”

Henry lifted his head, his lip quivered. “Why are you so good to me?”

“Because I love you. That’s why.” Placing a kiss to Henry’s head, Jim advised, “Drink some water, I’ll be right back.”

Once alone, Henry drank all of the water and curled up on the bed. What was going to happen now? He knew Tallulah would never have meant to hurt him, but it still didn’t make it right. Would they ever have the kind of mother-son relationship he had always wanted?

Jim returned with the cot and set it up right next to the bed, while Ms. Nelson brought in the pillow and blanket. “There you go, Henry. It’s comfier than it looks, I’m sure. Thank you, Ms. Nelson.”

“Anything for Henry. Stay as long as you need.” She turned and closed the door behind her.

It destroyed Jim to not only see Henry is despair, but to have witnessed that awful scene, to watch from the outside a scene not too unfamiliar to Jim. Unsure of what to say to him, Jim slipped into the bed, spooned Henry as he held him close.

Henry held him back and without much warning, Henry began to cry.

It was a long time before either of them spoke. They just laid there; Jim letting Henry cry his heart out, Henry feeling Jim’s breath against his neck and his fingers draw comforting circles on the back of his hand. What could they say now? What would make this better?

“You should go. You’ll be late.” Henry hoarsely spoke.

Jim nodded, slipping away and changed his clothes. Henry didn’t move, not even to turn and look at Jim. Once he dressed, Jim went around to kneel before Henry. “Come to the diner with me. I don’t want to leave you alone.”

Henry didn’t exactly want to be alone either. He wordlessly sat up and wrapped his arms around Jim’s neck. “What will happen to us now?”

“I don’t know. But I promise, no matter what, I will take care of you.”

Pulling Henry up, he led the way, holding Henry’s hand. This was how they walked into the diner, met with the approving smile of Melinda. “’Bout time you did somethin’. I was getting’ nervous that neither of you were gonna make that first step.”

Jack stood in the doorway of the kitchen and gave them a small smile before he made some smart remark to Melinda. Henry sat at the counter with his book of poems, quiet as could be. Jim went on with work, but made sure to every once in a while to check up on him with a word or a touch. Just as Henry seemed to have been feeling better, responding to Jim with smiles, they came in.

Carl and Magnus moseyed on in and sat right at a booth. Jim breathed in a deep sigh and went over with a neutral face. “What will you have?”

With stupid, smug smiles on their faces, Carl said, “Well, I knew that you were a pansy but this just confirms it. You want to play waitress, then you need to wear the proper uniform, sweetie.” Magnus laughed, repeating sweetie.

“I am sure I would look great in a waitress dress, but nothing was my size. What will your order be?”

“How about a steak?” Magnus suggested. “Can’t ever pass up that.”

“I bet you enjoy a good piece of meat, huh?” Carl asked, laughing.

Jim rolled his eyes and replied, “Of course and being a connoisseur of meat, I can spot a good meat from far away.” Scanning both of the men separately he then made a disappointed face and shrugged. “Figures, loud mouths never equal large meats. Helps to make up for the fragile egos. I’ll get you your steaks.”

Jim walked away, leaving them with their mouths agape and Henry smiling wide. Seeing Jim not being an easy target, they turned their attention to Henry. “Hey, Carl, didn’t you just go to the Pearl house to see Tallulah? Man, I bet she’s a good fuck.”

“Yeah, like a wild cat. Wonder if it’s a family trait. Squealing and yelling nonstop.”

Henry turned and blatantly said, “Actually, they say a woman’s vocality during sex, often suggests over-compensation for her partner’s lack of performance.”

Jim, who was just walking by to give them coffee, couldn’t help but to let out a laugh.

“What the hell did he just say to us?”

“He,” Jim let out a chuckle, “He said you’re shit in bed.”

Carl got up and close to Jim. “You better tell your boyfriend to keep his mouth shut.”

“How about I tell you to keep your mouth shut, especially when it comes to my boyfriend?”

Henry’s cheeks went red. He not only felt scared for Jim in that moment, but he was also surprised to hear Jim call him that out loud.

“Settle down Carl,” Melinda stepped in, giving Carl and Magnus a death glare. “Or else Jack here,” she nods to Jack, who stood behind the counter with his spatula, “Will have to take care of you. And Lord knows he’s twice your size.”

Seeing that they were outnumbered, Carl and Magnus got up angrily and murmured about what a shit-hole this diner was and how they weren’t coming back. Once alone, tensions were relieved and Jim went back behind the counter to return the coffee pot. “So,” Henry began, biting his lip trying to hold back the beaming smile, “I’m your boyfriend?”

Jim smiled back. “I mean, I had assumed. I don’t just lose it to anyone. And I bet neither do you.” Jim leaned forward, and in all seriousness, he softly asked, “Do you want to be?”

Henry nodded. “More than anything.”

 “Then you’re my boyfriend.” Not caring, he leaned in and gave Henry a grand ole’ kiss.

A group of girls at a table in the corner smiled and cheered them on, making Jim and Henry laugh but it was nice. Jim didn’t feel like he had to hide anymore. At last, in this strange, sleepy town filled with its secrets and worries, Jim found his way back to himself. And waiting there was Henry. Henry, who never dared to do anything, Henry who never believed he could do more than be a shadow in the night. Henry who took a chance and fell in love, Henry who is happier now than he had ever been.

Right now, it didn’t matter what the future had waiting for them, it wouldn’t matter if neither of them could fix what happened in the past, have mended their relationships with their parents. Right now what did matter was that they were together, happy and in love. They couldn’t imagine asking for more.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten:

Walking down the street with Jim, holding his hand made Henry's heart beat furiously. These people of whom he grew up with, the people who have judged him, were now looking at him. His mind raced and went to the worse of places. What did they think of him now? Did they stare because they never thought a freak like him could ever be in a relationship? Did they stare because they wondered why Jim was with him? Did they stare because they didn't like the idea of two men in a relationship? Henry couldn't figure it out but he found he didn't care, Jim was beside him, smiling at him, even wrapping an arm around his shoulders, which proved to be slightly awkward since Henry was three inches taller than Jim. Nevertheless, he appreciated the gesture. 

Arthur only smiled and said, "Now that's what I like to see." when he saw them walking in together. Jim was grateful that they at least had a few people in their corner, especially since Tallulah had yet to try and apologize to Henry. Seeing Henry's relationship with his mother made Jim really analysis just how fucked up his own relationship with his mother had been. Henry had been an inspiration for Jim to learn how to let go of that past and be independent, to allow himself to be free from negative energies that would drag him down. Henry was more intoxicating than any drug he had ever taken, like a breath of fresh air, a sip of cool water, soft linen sheets in quiet nights. He could get high on how healthy Henry was for him, feel that life had new meanings, that it looked more beautiful and homey. He loved life, and more than life itself, he loved Henry.

The day had been a long one, emotionally tolling and Henry was grateful to go back to the boarding house with Jim. He began to get himself settled in the cot that was brought up when Jim, who had been brushing his teeth, came out and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Uh, getting myself settled?"

Jim shook his head. "Bed, now. You are not sleeping in that cot."

Cautiously, Henry got into the bed, all the while keeping his eyes on the door. "But, Ms. Nelson?"

Jim called from the bathroom, "What she doesn't know won't hurt her. And besides," he continued, after finishing in the bathroom, "She did say no girls allowed over. And you are not girl."

Henry chuckled, he wanted to say how he was sure Ms. Nelson didn't quite mean it like that, but he decided to leave it. 

Jim climbed into bed with Henry and pulled out a book from the nightstand. As Jim picked up from where he had left off, Henry, who felt eager and needy, moved in closer to rest his head against Jim's shoulder. His eyes vaguely scanning the words but only able to focus on the photos. Jim smiled and glancing over at the sweet man by his side, he placed a quick kiss to the top of his head and continued to rest. They wound down as Jim read, Henry every once in a while asking a question and Jim answering him. As soon as they felt tired, they turned off the lights and moved so that Jim was spooning Henry, giving him a kiss to the scar on his neck before whispering a good night.

Henry woke in the middle of the night, his dreams were getting were becoming a bit too real for him. Not his usual nightmare, rather of that night on the beach. The experience had made Henry realize just how much he needed to be close to someone, to have that feeling of being loved and desired. His heart raced and he realized just how close Jim's crotch was to his behind. He sighed quietly at the memory. He was desperate to get some sort of release, but he felt bad to wake Jim, to ask for this. He wasn't even sure how he would ask, this was a completely new and intimidating experience for him. 

Cautiously, Henry inched closer to Jim, wanting to feel him pressed against him, and carefully, he began to rub himself through his boxer shorts. Due to the fact that he was completely inexperienced even when taking care of himself, Henry didn't realize that his motions were not so subtle and it slowly woke Jim. At first, Jim wondered if Henry was just having a bad dream, moving around the way he did. But when he glanced over and saw what his boyfriend was doing, he smiled and leaned up to look at him better. 

"Henry," Jim whispered, "If you needed taking care of, you should have told me."

Henry froze, feeling completely embarrassed and in shock. "Uh, Jim, I um."

Jim leaned down and gave Henry a kiss. "That's ok, babe," Jim cooed, "I mean, while this is a show I wouldn't mind seeing, I'd rather be a part of it." Moving that Henry laid on his back, Jim snaked his hand down his bare chest, slim stomach to the shorts. 

A blush immediatley came to Henry's face. "But, Ms. Nelson."

"That's ok. As long as we are quiet, she won't have to know. And I gotta take care of my boy." His hand went under the shorts and wrapped around Henry's cock, making Henry moan. "It's ok to be needy. You're very needy tonight, huh?" Henry nodded. Jim leaned down and kissed him.  As Jim showered Henry with tender kisses, Jim massaged and stroke the cock in his hands. Between the loving touches Jim was giving and the desperate need Henry had, it was sensory overload for the scarred man and he was feeling lightheaded. It was just too good. But then his beautiful, perfect boyfriend had to snake down and suck him off. Pulling the pillow over his face, Henry had stifled his moans. Although Jim had wanted to see Henry's face as he came undone, he couldn't help but to chuckle and be amused by the sight of Henry's inability to properly control himself. 

Henry lost it when Jim had decided to get devious and take one of Henry's balls in his mouth while he furiously jerked Henry off. The feel of his cum on his hot torso was oddly nice. Removing the pillow from his face, Henry looked down at Jim. He stared at the mess and shook his head, but a satisfied smile was painted on his face. "My, my. What shall we do with the mess?" Henry was going to say that they could get a wet cloth and clean it, but then Jim rose and began to lick the sticky substance from him. 

"Fuck," Henry whispered, surprised by his own vulgarity. 

Jim grinned wider, amused. Once he was finished, he laid beside Henry and twirled the long strands in his fingers. "There. Better?"

Henry seemed to glow, but he felt a bit guilty. "But what about you?"

"Don't worry about it. I am just as happy to give as I am to receive. Now, go to sleep," Jim cooed, pulling Henry into his arms, letting him get settled before his found his own sense of peace. "Good night, Henry."

Now content, Henry, half a asleep, murmured, "Love you too Jim."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who continue to read this. I am sorry that I am behind in writing, but things have been a bit stressful lately. I will never give them up, never gonna let you down. Hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Eleven

It didn’t take long for a small town like Battlecreek to pass around that Henry the Vampire had a boyfriend with Surfer Jim. They cringed at the terrible nicknames the townsfolk gave them, but other than that, they didn’t care. They didn’t care if people questioned and stared at them, wondering whatever the hell they were wondering. They didn’t care that there were people who made fun of them or called them names. They just didn’t care. For the first time in their lives, they both were happy, they both felt as though they had control over their lives.

They avoided Tallulah like the plague. Henry was just not in the mood to get into another screaming match, nor to hear her pathetic excuses of why she acted that way. Jim had no problem with facing Tallulah, he was ready to give that woman a what for, but only for Henry’s sake did he not. The next week were wonderful for them; they’d spend the day together in the room, Jim had gotten Henry a sketch book so he could draw, go to the diner together and afterwards Jim would accompany Henry to the garage.

The nights there would be quiet, soft jazz playing as Henry worked on a painting for Arthur, Jim taking an occasional snap shot of whatever caught his fancy. Arthur took Jim on as a second son, a guide and friend. It did Arthur’s heart good to see these two boys together, and he even hoped that Jim would inspire Henry to leave Battlecreek and start a new life somewhere else. Both of those boys deserve it.

Each night, under the black sky, Jim and Henry went to the lake and had a swim. It was always so peaceful there, no one came to bother them, the weather was always so nice and it seemed to help ease them into a restful night. One night, Jim sat by the rock watching as Henry swam, emerging from the dark waters. He looked so beautiful, body slim and refined, the water rolling off of him, making his skin glisten, his hair pushed back to show more of his face. Unable to stop himself, Jim took a picture of Henry. It was a moment he just had to capture.

In fact, there were many moments in which Jim had to catch. Henry reading at the diner, petting Benny through the fence, curled up on the bed. One of his favorites, more like a dirty secret, was one of Henry, sleeping soundly, just after they spent the night making love. Henry had his arms tucked under the pillow, face buried into the white cushion. The sheet barely covered him, revealing to Jim the length of his beautiful back and the soft white mound of his behind. The silent click of the camera didn’t even stir Henry.

Jim understood why Henry had never saw himself as being beautiful, after all those years of being treated as though he was some creature, a non-human being can take a toll on a person. But Jim had hoped that he would make Henry see that in Jim’s eyes he would always be beautiful.

One night at the garage, Jim was learning from Arthur how to fix a belt on a truck, Henry was finishing up on the painting Arthur commissioned him to do.

“Well, what d’you think?”

Arthur and Jim turned and saw a beautiful scene of a tall palm tree overlooking a blue sea with golden sands and the sun shining above. “Well Henry Pearl,” Arthur said with a smile, “I think that’s prettier than the Mona Lisa.”

Henry laughed and shook his head. “Doesn’t seem possible, but it’s good enough.”

“Always so modest,” Jim chuckled, going up to wrap his arms around Henry’s waist, pressing his cheek to the plaid covered back. “But then again all the best artists are always so modest. And how lucky I am that my boyfriend is one.”

Henry turned red, biting his lips to hide a bashful smile.

The bell rang and Jim waved a hand at Arthur, stopping him. “I’ll get it.” Placing a kiss to Henry’s cheek, he let him go stepped out. He stopped short, shocked to see a familiar face.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips. “Jim. I knew I’d find you.”

His face broke out in the biggest smile. “That freaky twin-lepathy thing.” They ran into each other’s arms, holding onto one another. God he missed Medina. All his life, his sister was the only one who really got him, who really knew him. His life wouldn’t have been the same without her.

“Nope, jus some good ole’ Google Maps. But I’ll let you believe in that if you want.”

Curious as to what was keeping Jim, Henry stepped out and saw Jim hugging a girl. His rational mind said that Jim loved him, but the insecure side made his heart skipped a beat to think if she were an old girlfriend or something.

Sensing someone behind them, Jim turned and smiled seeing Henry. Taking his sister’s hand, he brought her closer. “Medina, this is Henry. He’s my boyfriend.”

Henry blushed at the endearment, not quite used to being in a relationship. He smiled, feeling relief, he remembered all the times Jim told Henry of his sister. “Hi,” he replied, giving her a quick wave.

“This weirdo is my sister. My twin,” he teased, draping an arm around her shoulder, sticking his tongue out at her.

Medina merely smiled and shook her head. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said, shaking his hand.

 “Come on in,” Henry offered, “You’re probably tired.”

Jim took her hand and led her in after Henry. After introducing her to Arthur, Henry gave her a glass of water and sat shyly across from her.

“So,” she asked with a bright and approving smile, “How did you meet?”

“Henry helped me when I got here,” Jim explained, “He gave me a place to stay, a shoulder to cry on.” Sitting beside Henry, Jim wrapped an arm around his shoulders and planted a kiss to his cheek. “He’s been the best.”

Medina smiled, her eyes shone brightly with happiness at her brother’s recovery, but there was also a hint of sadness there too. Henry noticed it, but didn’t say anything at first.

“What brings you here to our humble hamlet?” Arthur asked.

The question brought an uneasiness to Medina. “Well, that didn’t last long, huh?” Medina set her cup down and gripped her hands so tightly her knuckles became white. “While you were away, Mom was having trouble. She finally checked herself in a hospital, getting help. There were highs and lows, but she’s trying. I wouldn’t have come here to tell you this, but, Mom had…she tried to kill herself. The doctor thinks that a visit from you might help. I was against it, but he thinks that a clean break and an adult discussion between the two of you might be helpful. Not just for her, but for you too.”

 Jim sat there feeling a bit stunned. Mom nearly died and I wasn’t there for her. No, Jim, don’t think that. You can’t. Henry saw the conflict in Jim’s face and took his hand. That simple touch helped ground Jim and his heart steadied, and the world wasn’t so scary.

“I am sorry Jim. I really am against it, but, but I had thought that you deserved to know, to make the choice if you want to face her. And now seeing just how well you are doing, I am scared to have you go back. I’m scared of her reverting back to how she was before and try to control you.”

“Did you hear from Dad?”

Medina was quiet for a moment and said, “After Mom put herself in the hospital, Dad came to see her once, in good faith, so he says. He tries to have some sort of relationship with me, but he doesn’t stay long. He and his wife keep going on business trips to Europe.”

“Does he ever ask about me?”

Tears came to her eyes, but she wipes them away and shakes her head. “I’m sorry Jim. Screw him, though. I’ve been done with him. In fact, I am done with both of them. You should too. But…that is something you need to think over. I am really sorry Jim.”

It was a lot to take in, Jim felt like he did almost a month ago when he last saw his mom. Would he be able to face her and be strong enough to walk away? Could he manage to make a better relationship with her? Was there any hope for him to have somewhat of a normal life?

Henry watched Jim’s face, he saw the same lost and broken expression when Jim first came to Battlecreek. Suddenly, Henry was afraid. Afraid for Jim, for his sanity and health. This could break him. If he choose to go through it alone. He reached over and took Jim’s hands into his, rubbing circles on his wrists.

Jim looked over at Henry, and everything seemed to be better. No, he wouldn’t think about it at the moment, right now, he was going to enjoy the fact that his sister was here. Ms. Nelson had a spare room for Medina, only for the night. A curtesy to Jim, since he had been such a good renter.

Jim sat on the bed in his shorts and white shirt, just staring out into the wall, lost in thought. Henry slipped in behind him, wrapping his arms around Jim, his cheek buried in the crook of Jim’s neck. “Talk to me, Jim. Maybe I can help.”

“Oh Henry,” Jim sighed, “This is such a fucked up situation, I don’t even know if I want to include you in it.”

“I think that as your boyfriend, I am included by default.”

Jim chuckled and turned to press a kiss to his forehead. “I wish I knew what to do. A part of me wants to go, just to be able to talk and maybe fix it, but another part of me wants to just walk away forever.”

Henry was quiet for a moment then he said, “In all the time you have been to Battlecreek, I have seen all that you are capable of; you stood up to jerks you never knew, you fight hard against you addiction, you found yourself a job and been a great waiter, and you made friends. This you did all on your own free will, your strength. You will have the strength to walk away from her. I would say go to her. Whether or not you two are able to settle your differences, you will have been able to say all that you’d want to say. If you don’t you’ll regret that you never took the chance, never took the step of moving forward, and you’ll be looking behind your shoulder all your life, wishing you had said something, anything. Think about it for a while, decide if that is something you are willing to do.”

Jim took in carefully what Henry said, though he didn’t say anything back to Henry, Henry knew he was thinking of it. “Come on,” Henry got up, taking Jim’s hand, let’s get to bed. Sleep on it.”

Henry curled his body around Jim’s, giving Jim a sense of comfort and reassurance that he needed. Jim didn’t sleep long that night, he thought and thought about what had happened, on what could happen. What would he do? And if he went, what of Henry? One thing was certain, he wouldn’t leave Henry behind, and never in his life could he do something as awful as that. He went to sleep confused and uncertain.

It was a rainy day and the boys decided to show Medina Battlecreek. Henry showed her to pathway he took when he went home, pointing out the neighbors and their stories. “Benny would be here, but obviously he’s inside. He’s such a beautiful dog.”

It didn’t take long for Medina to like Henry. He was a sweetie, down to earth and understanding. He was never one to judge too quickly. Fate really did Jim a solid, sending him here, letting him meet Henry. Medina knew that Henry had to stay in Jim’s life in order to continue this healthy and happy path Jim was going on. She was also afraid; Sandy’s hold on Jim had always been strong and gripping, to the point of choking even. She always managed to touch his heart through her tears and desperate cries that she needs someone to help her. “You’re the man of the house,” was her excuse, and how could any good and dutiful son deny his mother? Her heart broke for Jim and she was terrified if he choose to see her.

But maybe with her and Henry by his head, they can protect him from being sucked back in the quicksand called mom.

Arthur hoped Jim would decide to go, not for any dislike for Jim, but rather that Jim can settle his past, and inspire Henry to do the same. Arthur sighed, wiping his forehead with a cloth, sitting in a chair. If Henry goes with Jim, it could be forever, and he’ll never know the truth. No, Arthur wouldn’t, he couldn’t be the one to tell Henry, not the whole truth. Tallulah had to be the one to do it, she needs to face it as well. As they say, the truth set you free. No one deserves to be set free more than Henry Pearl.


End file.
